


I’ll be whatever you need me to be

by Purple_ducky00



Category: Marvel Universe - Fandom
Genre: Abuse, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, I honestly don’t know what else to tag, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 19:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 51,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13643145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purple_ducky00/pseuds/Purple_ducky00
Summary: Ok... so this fic was started before i knew much about Black Panther. Therefore, the female character is kind of like Shuri to T’Challa, except older. This is my first one so please don’t hate me





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok... so this fic was started before i knew much about Black Panther. Therefore, the female character is kind of like Shuri to T’Challa, except older. This is my first one so please don’t hate me

“Tala, how was Norway?” 

“Chilly, but fun. I feel like we really helped those people. How was life in the rainforest without me?”

“Well, not too great… Father died.”

“Wait!! What?? He died and you didn’t contact me? What happened?” 

“Tala,” he said, giving me a hug. “There is much to explain- and I also ask of you a favor…”

“Anything brother, but first, catch me up. You gonna treat me to lunch?”

Walking up the street to my favorite little café, something caught my eye. I see Mr. Rogers and the others I recognized, but didn’t know their names. 

“Brother, why are Mr. Rogers and his friends here? And who’s all here?”

“That’s what I am going to tell you about. Let’s sit down.   
While you were in the Lapland of Norway, we were faced with some… weird… happenings.   
Soon after you left, several of the Avengers were tracking down some fugitives in Lagos and made a mess of the city. Several of our people were in a hospital helping patients when a fiery man was thrown threw the windows, causing the side of the building to collapse, many were injured, and two killed.   
Father decided that after Sokovia and now Lagos, the UN should do something about these Avengers. Wakanda and 116 other nations created an Accords for all enhanced people to be put under the control of a panel in the UN. If these people did not sign the Accords, they would be forced to retire. Mr. Rogers and a few of his friends refused to sign them.   
While at this big UN meeting, a bomb went off and killed Father…” “What?” “News reports showed that the bomber was Mr. Rogers’ old friend who had been missing for many years. He disobeyed the Accords to save him and I disobeyed them to kill him- I was full of vengeance. Anyway, this man was not the bomber- he was being framed for a madman’s crazy reasons to get back at the Avengers because of Sokovia. This fellow later showed Mr. Stark the cause of his parents’ deaths, which caused animosity all over again. 

Because Mr. Rogers and his friends are wanted criminals in America and many other countries, I offered them a sanctuary. That is why they are here.”

“So when I leave, everything falls   
apart?” I tease. 

“Something like that… Now on to that favor I am asking of you… I need you to construct an arm.”

“An arm? For what?” I ask. 

“I’ll show you- let’s eat first. Tell me what you did in Norway.” 

I tell him of the children’s projects, the cooking classes, the new foods I tried, how I drove a dog sled… “and as fun as it was, I’m glad to be back in warm weather.” 

“Of course you are- heat doesn’t affect you at all. You should have been here last week. It was hot and humid and terrible.”

“Where’s Ororo when you need her?” I ask, winking. 

T’Challa ducks his head with a grin. 

“By the way- where is she? I can’t believe that I’m home for half a day and she hasn’t come to see me yet!” I gasp dramatically. “Did she get a new best friend?”

“No, she’s on a trip. That’s all she told me.” 

The waiter comes past, giving us the check. 

“I’m paying,” T’Challa looks at me. “It’s your ‘welcome home’ present. Now come, I need to introduce you to several people.” 

We catch a ride to the palace, and walking in the foyer, were told, “They’re in your private room.” 

“Thank you. Come on Tala.”

“Oh, I forgot- this means you’re the king. You-you’re the king. Father’s really gone.” I stop where I am, the reality of what happened hitting me. “He’s really gone.” Then looking up at T’Challa, “Do I have to meet them now? I’d rather not. No offense, but it’s because of them, he died.”

“Alana, don’t hate them. They were doing their jobs.” 

“I don’t hate them, brother. I just need to be alone right now. Tell them I’ll meet them tomorrow. Ok?” 

He sighs, “Ok. I hope you feel better.”   
I hear him say through the walls, “I’m sorry, she’s tired after such a long flight. She’ll meet you tomorrow.” 

I climb the stairs to my room, lie on my bed, and start crying. How could the world take so wonderful a man to an early grave? After all he did for me! 

A half hour later, exhausted from crying and my trip, I fall asleep.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++


	2. Chapter 2

Good morning, stranger.” I wake up to a stream of light shining in my face.

“Wha- wha- It is **not**  morning yet. Turn off the light,” I grumble and turn over.

“Alana, I heard you missed me and now you want me to leave? Alllright, ok, I will…”

I sit up, wide awake. “Ororo! You’re home! Where were you? I’m so happy you’re here! What time is it?”

“Well I’m glad you’re happy to see me,” she laughs. “I can’t tell you where I was, and it’s 10:30 in the morning.”

“Not-uh! It was just 8:30PM. I just fell asleep! Ororo, my father, he-he-he’s gone.”

“Honey, I know, it’s gonna be alright. Your brother has much of your father in him. He will be a great king.”

“I know… it’s just- I never got to say goodbye. I wasn’t even home for the funeral…”

“Ask T’Challa to take you to his grave today, and you can pay your respects.”

“Aww darn! I forgot! I have to meet some people for T’Challa today, and I didn’t even eat yet. And I don’t know what to wear…”

“Wear your princess outfit and make them look surprised. And I had a servant bring up your favorite breakfast- Belgian waffles. I’m your breakfast companion today. Yay!”

“Ororo, you’re the best! Now I know why T’Challa loves you.”

She grins, “Well the feeling is mutual.”

  
After breakfast, Ororo and a maid fix me up to look like a Wakandan princess- makeup and all. I never have time to put on makeup. I’m always in a hurry as it is. I don’t need to make myself later!

“Ok, princess. Now meet those foreign visitors. I have a feeling you’ll be dealing with them for a little while.”

I walk down the steps to see T’Challa ready to come up.

“Well Tala, you look very… regal. What’s the cause?”

“You better watch your snide remarks- Ororo picked it out.”

“Well then, you look fabulous.”

“Are the people here? I’m in the people-meeting mood now, but I might not be soon. Also, can you take me to Father’s grave today? I want to pay my last respects.”

“Sure. After this meeting- they’re right in there. Wait! I’ll go in and call you in.”

I hear him say something when he goes in then he says, “I present to you my sister Alana, princess of Wakanda.”

I walk in, and can’t help but grin when I see the confused look on their faces. T’Challa and I look nothing alike. He has dark features as I am on the light side. Truth be told, I’m only his adopted sister, which is a long story, which I will get to.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you all.”

“Your Highness,” says Mr. Rogers, nodding. Everyone else shyly says hello.

“So… do you also like cats?” One of them asks.

“Sam,” Mr. Rogers chides.

“What? I want to know if it runs in the family.”

“Well Sam,” I smile. “I like panthers, but not domesticated house cats. But tell me, do you like birds?”

“When you can fly, you can ask.” He grins.

“Oh, she can,” puts in T’Challa, “This little lady here is an inventress. You want a jetpack? She can make it.”

“Ahh so she’s the Wakandan Tony Stark,” pipes up a dude with a hard face- it looks like he went through a lot in his life.

I raise my eyebrows. I’m being compared to Tony Stark. Wow.

“I have asked her to help with your friend ‘Bucky’” T’Challa addresses Mr. Rogers.

“No offense to you, Your Highness,” Mr. Rogers nods at me, “but what if the same thing happens like the last few times we tried to get him analyzed? Can she keep him under control? Why don’t I just ask him questions?”

“Mr. Rogers,”

“Call me Steve.”

“Steve, I know what I can and cannot do. I will assess the situation and will advise whether or not I can help. It is not up to you to make decisions- I don’t care if it’s your best friend or mortal enemy. I make my own decisions. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“If we’re clear on that, you can call me Alana. All of you.”

“I assure you, Captain Rogers, that my sister’s safety is a #1 priority of mine. She will be fine.” T’Challa tells Steve. “Now as we have some family matters to attend, this meeting is adjourned.”

When they leave, I turn to him. “Brother, take me first to father’s grave; then to my assignment.”

“Tala, if you don’t want to help, you don’t have to.”

“Brother, I do not know what I truly want right now except that I want Father back. Let me go talk to him.” My shoulder is starting to hurt again. Let me explain- I have always had pain in my shoulder- usually only a little pain. Other times it was so bad, I couldn’t focus. But I was so used to the pain, I usually thought nothing of it. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Father, it’s not fair! Just as I thought I was repaying you for what you did- then, then, while I’m away, you had to die. And I couldn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t even know! Now I can never repay you!”

“Tala, come, it’s ok,” T’Challa looks at me, his eyes sad. “He never wanted you to repay him. That never crossed his mind.”

“I know,” I sob, “but Ive always felt like I should…”

“He loved you as a daughter…”

“Brother, I love you.” I hug him. “I know I haven’t told you that recently.”

“Yea, cuz you were in Norway.” He smiles. “I love you too”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Now that you’ve read up on this man, do you know if you want to help?”

“T’Challa, I- I think I might know him…”

“That’s what I figured- which is why you can back out if you want to.”

“No, I would like to talk to him first. See what he wants.”

T’Challa smiles, “Now this is the Alana I know.”

“Let’s go- I want to see what I’m dealing with.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
My “patient” is in the royal hospital. T’Challa has explained that he asked to be put under until someone figured out how to get bad symptoms out of his head. He lost his arm, which already was metal, and was already revived several times to work with psychiatrists, but these meetings never ended well. He thinks maybe I can help, but I can’t help feeling a little antsy. What makes me so good that I can help where psychology majors can’t?

“Sit down,” a nurse tells me, “we will bring him up in a minute.”

“Are you good?” T’Challa asks? “Do you want this meeting to be for your ears only? Or do you care if we all hear?”

“I will ask him- whatever he wants.”

The floor opens in front of me. A man strapped to a chair rises out of it.   
  
“So this is how he’s ‘put down’?”

Steve and Sam walk in.

“Yes,” says Steve. “This is what he’s used to, and he’s being handled gently this time. Thank you.” He nods to my brother.

“Ok- everybody out!” I say. “You’ll know if I need help, brother. You know me and I know that you will be watching even if you can’t hear.”

  
After everyone goes out, I sit face to face with this man- Bucky is what Steve calls him. I don’t know what to say- I never have to handle these things.

“Hello, I’m Alana,” I say, but all the man does is stare. “How about I let you be able to get off the chair. I’d like to talk to you.”

I get up to unstrap him. He grabs my wrist with his hand.

“Don’t you dare say those words!” He looks at me desperately. “I swear, if you say them, I will kill myself after I kill you!”

“What do you mean? What words?” I am confused- and scared. He has a strong grip.

“You. Know. The. Words. Don’t say them.”

“I will try not to, ok? Let me get you unstrapped.” While I free him, he just stares ahead blankly.

“Now,” I sit back down on my chair. “Let’s get started. Do you want everyone to hear our conversation, or do you want to speak confidentially to me?”

He doesn’t answer- just looks blankly for a few seconds, looks at me and says slowly, “Do I scare you?”

“I don’t know how to answer that, Mr. Barnes. You did when you grabbed my wrist and threatened to kill me.”

“So you’d rather people could hear us. So that you can be saved if I go crazy.”

“It’s your decision. I will trust you to keep your sanity.” I smile encouragingly. What do I say? I really don’t care. I rub my shoulder- a habit of mine when the pain bothers me.

“Then don’t say those words,” he mutters.

I am still confused. What words? Well I hope I don’t say them.

“I’d like to speak privately,” he comments at last, “I’d rather not have everyone know of the horrors that happened.”

I snap my fingers. T’Challa makes an “ok” sign. I know he’s turning the sound off. Steve doesn’t look too happy.

“Ok, Mr. Barnes. First things first, what shall I call you? Mr. Barnes? Bucky? James?”

“My name’s Bucky.” He says, almost angrily.

“Well then, you can call me Alana. I have been recruited by King T’Challa to build you another arm. And I am here to decide how I shall build it. It depends greatly on how you want to use it.”

“So you’re not a shrink?” He looks at me incredulously. “The king has never sent anyone else before. Does he really think I deserve an arm with all the poison Hydra has in my head?”

“The king trusts me completely with the arm-making. And concerning the psychiatrist, I am here for anything you need to spout out. I don’t ever have to tell anyone if that’s how you’d like it.”

“I’d like it.”

“Ok, then. Let’s get to the topic of the arm. What would you like to use it for?”  
I ask.

“I don’t know- that’s the problem. I’ve always been a soldier- I don’t know how to do anything else.”

“Well things are easily learnable. You just have to want to learn them. Do you want to go back to the army?”

He hangs his head, “Not really- but I’m good at it.”

“Well, you’re strong- you could use your strength for helping build houses or things like that. If you wanted to be a mechanic, I could incorporate tools inside your arm. Your choices are endless.”

He looks hesitant. “But the only thing is- without the arm, I can go crazy and Steve can stop me. But with the metal arm, the only way I was able to be stopped was to get hit in the head. Or I just eventually calmed down.”

“So Hydra just hit you in the head?”

“I. Don’t. Remember… They also probably had a way, but I don’t know…”

“So do you not want the arm?”

“I… really do want it. But I’m not sure I deserve it.”

“Bucky, you deserve it. If you didn’t, the king would not ask me to make you one.”

“Then you make it how you see fit. If you want the arm to weaken me, so be it. If you want to be able to control my arm, do that too.”

“I will think about it, and decide. Another question, do you like me? Because we will be spending a lot of time together the next few months if I take this job.”

He smiles, “I think we’ll get along just fine. Unless you don’t want to do it…”

“Bucky, I am an honest person, and I can assure you that if I didn’t want to do it, I either would have told you or wouldn’t even have gotten as far as to talking to you. And if you want to talk to me about anything, I’m here. I will definitely tell you if we’re divulging into a topic I’d rather not speak about. Do we have a deal?” I offer my right hand.

“Deal,” he shakes it. “I’m ready to go back under now.”

“You don’t want to stay up here?”

“Miss Alana, there’s not many people I trust up here, and there’s no one down there. I do not want to go crazy, and someone only has to say like 10 words and I’m a stone-cold killer again. Please just let me go under.”

“Very well; let me strap you back up.” I get up and wave my hand up to the watcher room. Two nurses come in and help him settle back in and open the floor for him. As he goes down, T’Challa and Steve come in.

“Did he ask to go under again?” Steve looks concerned.

“Yes, he said that there were few people he could trust and those ‘words’ would set him off again. Which reminds me, what is he talking about? He almost crushed my wrist, threatening to kill me then himself if I said ‘those words.’” I gesture quotations with my fingers.

Steve and T’Challa look at each other. “We should have told you about them. I’m sorry,” Steve apologizes. “Bucky was brainwashed when he worked for Hydra, and they would use these words to set him up for a mission. My friend Natasha translated them for me. (They were written in Russian.)”

As he say the words, I can’t help but say them in my head in Russian. It’s an odd assortment of words:

“Longing (zhelaniye)  
Rusted (rzhavyy),   
Seventeen (semnadtsat'),   
Daybreak (rassvet),   
Furnace (Pech),   
Nine (Devyat'),  
Benign (dobroserdechnyy),   
Homecoming (vozvrashcheniye na rodinu),   
One (odin),   
Freight Car (gruzovoy vagon)”

“Did anyone find out why it’s these words that set him off?”

“No we figured it’s just what Hydra drilled into him.”

“Well I am going to make him an arm- I just haven’t decided how I’m going to make it.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sam walked up at my comment.

“Well there are so many different ways I could make it. It could be a detriment to him where he can use it for normal things, but it affects his strength. I could make it exactly how Hydra made it- all I have to do is follow the mechanics already on him. I could incorporate a software in him so I or someone with the right passwords could control the arm- I’m kind if against this version, though, because software can be hacked. I’ll just think about it. If you guys who know him have any input, let me know, but don’t get offended if I choose to make the arm differently.”

“Shouldn’t it be up to him?” Steve asks.

“He told me to make it how I thought best, which is what I will do.” I reply. What is with people not trusting me? I’m the kings sister. 


	4. Chapter 4

And then he was like ‘shouldn’t it be his decision?’ And I was like, ‘yea his decision was for me to decide. Like what is it with Americans thinking I can’t do anything?” I relate my day to Orroro.

“Well America is pretty sexist for the most part. You’re used to being the princess whom everyone looks up to and believes in. The people here have no doubt that you can do whatever you set your mind to do.” She reminds me.

“You know what I was thinking? The girl, Wanda, seems a little unsure of herself with her powers. You could really help her with that. I would tell her to use them for non-combat ways, but you could help her realize all that she can do.”

“Hmm, I’d like that. I’ll talk to her next time I’m around.”

“Now I have to make prototypes of several different types of arms to see which one I think will work the best. I’m guessing I will have to attach nerves with wires, which could get painful and messy.”

“Well, honey, I for sure am not envious of your job.”

“Well I would hope not. Brother wouldn’t want you to spend all your time with such a good-lookin man.”

“Hon, are you sure you want to? If you’re already a little bit attracted to him, it might not be the best idea…”

“Pleeaaase… I will be fine. You can trust me.” I hug her.

“Ok girl, it’s your choice.”

I am up all night researching hi-tech machinery for a way to create a bionic metal arm. I make the decision at 3:30 A.M. to use the same type of structure that the engineers in Hydra did, but to make the arm a little bit better. I have to draw up plans, but I need to check out his arm and shoulder first.   
“That,” I think, “I will do tomorrow.”

Lying in bed, I go through all that went on in the past week – from learning Father died to my new job. The man Bucky said that he didn’t want people to know the horrors “that happened”. Does this mean the horrors he created? That he went through? That he saw? It would be terrible if he meant all three.

I sit up, grab my laptop, and search “Bucky Barnes.” I read about his chilhood, which was rather broken, and his time in the 107th, how he fell off a train (and was supposed dead) later to be recognized by Steve Rogers when fighting him during the fall of SHIELD. He then went MIA for several years until his name and face were splattered all over world newspapers for the bombing the UN meeting inVienna, which later was discovered to be staged by a man named Zemo. Bucky Barnes is “again” MIA, but the UN has a search warrant out for him, Captain Rogers, and the others who are being sheltered in Wakanda.

I click the link to Zemo’s name. Baron Zemo was a Sovokian scientist who lost his family in the Avengers battle in Sokovia. He spent his time finding a way to tear the Avengers apart as they tore his family from him. He is being held in a UN prison and refuses to talk.

I raise my eyebrows. This sure is a mess that I have to help fix. I still am curious as to whether Zemo succeeded in what he wanted to do. Do Steve and Tony Stark ever talk? I suddenly am no longer tired. I want to learn as much as I can about this Bucky Barnes. What other words have an effect on him and why? I remember that Zemo figured out encrypted Hydra codes on Bucky, but I never saw that anyone found his work. That could prove helpful to me- or I could just do what Zemo did and spend 2-3 years doing it myself. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Good morning, Tala,” Brother says.

“Good morning, I have a few questions about Barnes.”

T’Challa eyes me suspiciously. “Tala, did you sleep at all last night?”

“No I was researching. And I have questions.”

“Do I have to turn of the Internet like Father did when you were like 17?”

“No, it will help me in the long run. I’ll be able to get done sooner. Besides, I’m fully functional and I don’t even feel tired. Anyways, Zemo, you know him, right? I want to know what he did with all the information he got from Hydra codes.”

“You want them. C’mon, how am I going to get them?”

“Do you know where they are?”

“No… Do you?”

“No, they never found it. The UN is looking for it, and I don’t want them to have it.”

“Tala, it’s the UN. What are you going to do?”

“I’ll come up with something. You know that. You know what? I want to interrogate Zemo.”

“The UN won’t let you- you’re not one of theirs nor a psychiatrist.”

“We have to persuade them- without letting on that we have Barnes.”


	6. Chapter 6

Meanwhile in California   
“Tony, I have some news for you. I need you to stop working and sit down.”

“One minute Pepper. I’ll just want to finish this last thing…”

“Tony sit down now!!”

“Yes, dear,” he sits down, “what is it?”

“Well, do you want me to tell you right out, or do you want to guess?”

“Is it good news or bad news?”

“Good, I hope.”

“You got reservations at that restaurant you wanted us to go to?”

“No.”

“You’re taking some time off from work for me.”

“No.”

“Let’s see, uhhh…”

“Tony, I’m pregnant.”

“Pregnant? Pepper, that’s awesome. No it’s not- I’ll be terrible father. Have you seen how I turned out? They tell me I’m just like him… What if our child is put in danger because of me?”

“Tony, Tony, you’re giving me mixed emotions about this. Are you happy or not?”

“Yes, I am very happy. I’m also scared. It means I now have two people I have a responsibility to protect. What if I cant do it? What if they get me and you’re left defenseless? I wouldn’t be able to live with that.”

“Honey, worrying about it won’t help matters. I’m going to get an ultrasound tomorrow to see what I have. You can come if you want.”

“Sure, I’ll come.”

Tony can’t sleep that night. His mind is all torn up. Sure, it’s awesome that Pepper’s pregnant. She’ll be a great mother. He should know- she took care of him all these years. But, he couldn’t get over the fear of something happening to her or the baby. There has to be something he can do. He sits up.

“Tony, lie down.” Pepper’s hand latches onto his arm. “You’re not going anywhere right now.”

“Ok hun, I’m right here,” he says, then lies back down.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Next day  
“Are you sure this the best idea? I hate hospitals.”

“Tony, please. I would like you to be here for this. Can you just calm down?”

“Yea sure- I just” The doctor walks in.

“Well good morning! Are you ready to hear the baby’s heart?”

“Good morning, Dr. Glenn. I can’t wait!” Pepper lays her hand on her stomach.

“Sit up on this chair.” Dr. Glenn hooks her up to the ultrasound machine. They hear a sound, which repeats itself almost rapidly. Dr. Glenn looks up, concerned.

“Uhh, I don’t like the sounds of this. Why is the heartbeat so fast?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Will the baby be ok?”

“I hope so. Let’s just stay calm and look at the ultrasound.” He turns on the screen.

“Is that two babies?” Tony whispers to Pepper.

“Congratulations, Ms. Potts. You’re expecting twins!”

“Twins!” Pepper sits back. “Wow! Isn’t that awesome, Tony? Twins!”

Tony is smiling from ear to ear. He’s having twins. Then, he can feel the anxiety pushing at him. Now three people to protect? Could he do it?  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“Congrats, man! Happy told me the news!” Col. Rhodes slaps Tony on the back. He is two weeks in from walking on his strength alone.

“Rhodey, I’m scared. I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Do what, Tony? You’re not considering leaving, are you?”

“No! Come on, Rhodey! But there always seems to be threat I have to deal with and it was hard enough keeping Pepper outside of the war zone. How am I gonna do it with two children? Don’t get me wrong, I will love them to pieces. But- I can’t…” He looks up. “I’ve got it!! Safety pods!!”

“Tony, are you sure…?”

“Surer than sure. Alright, gotts go Rhodes.”

“Tony, one more thing, Pepper’s gonna need you. You can’t hide in your basement.”

“Why can’t she just hide with me?” Tony grins.

“Tony…”

“I know, I know, she won’t do it.”

“Bye Tony.”

“Bye Rhodey.”

Tony gets home, and as he sees that Pepper is not home yet, goes down into the basement.

“Friday, I have an idea. What do you think of safety pods?”

“Whatever for, Mr. Stark?”

“Do you think I could incorporate my DNA in one of my suits? So it will just come to me?”

“It’s worth a try, sir.”

“Friday, show me the Veronica plans.”

“Are you planning on looking for Dr. Banner, sir?”

“I would love to, but right now I’m going to reverse the design of Veronica to keep things out, instead of containing things inside.”

“Very well, sir. Here are the plans.”

“Well if I can attach DNA to a suit, I can attach it to this. Now, save that to my private file. I’m going to start with the suit.”

Well, you know Tony Stark. He was able to attach his DNA to a suit so that he could call it to him at any time. All he would have to do is pinch his ear, and the suit would come. Little did he know the outcome of this little new project…


	7. Chapter 7

At the United Nations Facility in The Hague

“So King T’Challa, you’re telling me your foster sister wants to interrogate Zemo? Don’t you know our men already tried? He won’t talk. Besides, she does not work for the UN intelligence agency. She has no right to talk to him.”

“Please, Secretary Ross, it would be helpful to get him to speak.”

“And what is she going to do? Seduce him? Your Majesty, I’ve seen your sister, and I don’t believe she has what it takes to get a man to answer.” Secretary  Ross smirks.

“Secretary  Ross, I can’t say I know how she does it, but my sister is very great at persuading people to talk. Because of her, the pirate Altein confessed. Because of her, we have made many treaties. She has a knack for it.”

“Very well… I will give her a small session with the prisoner- under certain terms. I understand her to be quite the engineer/mechanic. She better not pull any Tony Stark- type crap so that we cannot hear her conversations.”

“I promise you for her that she will not. Just because she can act like Tony Stark does not mean she will.”

“Is she with you?”

“She is at the hotel, but she is in The Hague.”

“I will schedule her to come at 12:30. Be there.”

“Thank you, Secretary Ross.”  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
At the hotel  
“What? He said I wasn’t seductive? I can’t believe it!!” I laugh. I know that there is nothing about me that would seduce a man. But hey, it’s kind of funny to hear the US Secretary of State say it.

“I glared at him really hard.” T’Challa says. “By the way, no Tony Stark-ish crap to power down the system. I promised you wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. But I gotta take a call so scuse me.” I call Steve. “Hello, Steve? This is Alana. Don’t be surprised I have your phone number- I have sources. Anyways, Ross is giving me the meeting with Zemo. I’m going to take in a bug with me- it can get past all security… Why are you so surprised? You compare me to Tony Stark. Anyway, I want you and Wanda to listen to it the whole time. I’m going to try to speak to him in Sokovian, and you’re going to need Wanda to translate. Look in the second drawer on the left side of your desk. Yes, that is the bug’s ears. If you want me to ask Zemo a question, press the button on the top right and speak. I will hear you. Ok? Alright. Gotta go. I’m trying new food.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++  
In Wakanda  
“Do you know what scares me? How much that girl acts like Tony. It’s uncanny.” Steve proceeds to tell his squad about my little plan.

“Except that Tony can’t speak Sokovian,” Sam says.

“Gotta take this call,” Steve mumbles.

“Hello, Nat? How are you? Haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Hi Steve, sorry, was helping Laura out with the kids and farm and didn’t have service. Tell Clint he owes me. I just have some news on Tony.”

“Why? Is he ok? What happened to   
him?”

“Relax, Romeo. Nothing tragic. He and Pepper are expecting twins…”

“Twins? Well Tony has his hands full.”

“…aaaand Tony’s kinda going crazy. He won’t tell me, but Rhodes says all he can think about is keeping his little family safe. Building new armor, not leaving his house for weeks… he’s busy.”

“And he still hasn’t called me. Does he ever talk about us?”

“Not… really. I think he’s getting you out of his system. I’m sorry, Steve, but he doesn’t need you.”

“Maybe I should call him…”

“Steve, be sensible. He may act proud, but you know that deep inside he would throw that off and call you if he needs you. I’m actually going over there now to check up on him and Pepper.”

“Alright, well, thanks Nat. I’ll talk to you later.” Steve sadly hangs up the phone.

“Was that Nat?” Clint asks. “What’d she say?”

“That you owe her. She’s been helping Laura out on the farm for you.”

“Yea, well I do.”

“She say something about Tony that you don’t like? I can see you’re not happy.” Sam asks quietly.

“She said that he’s basically living his life as if we didn’t exist. As much as we fought, I really miss him, Sam.”

“Yea well, you always need someone to argue with, and he always set himself up.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
The next day  
“Hello, Steve? I’m going in in about 15 minutes. Turn the bug on.”

Ororro and T’Challa escort me to the UN justice center where I will have my meeting with Zemo.

“Right this way,” Ross says, then turns and looks at me. “No funny business, ok?”

“Ok. May I go in now?” Ross nods his head.

I walk through a metal detector into the room.

“Hello,” I say in Sokovian. “How are you today?”

Zemo looks up, surprised. “You know Sokovian?”

“Yes, and I’m here to ask you some questions.”

“I will not talk to the UN nor anyone they set upon me.”

“Then lucky for you, Im not part of the UN.”

“Who are you, then? I demand to know.”

“I’m someone looking for answers. Which I could do the exact same thing as you did, but wouldn’t it be a waste of your knowledge?”

“What would I get out of it? I am kept in this cage, barely able to move. If I must suffer, why can’t you?”

“What do you want? You do know that as I am not part if the UN, I cannot grant you amnesty.”

“Well as my life is quite terrible, I must find joy in the small things. You must make sure there is a delicacy on my plate every meal.”

“Every other day.”

“Every time I am given dinner.”

“Deal. Please give me a list of the ‘delicacies.’ I will work them into your diet. Now, what you have for me…” I look up. Ross does not look very happy- he cannot understand us. T’Challa looks like he is telling him that at least I got Zemo to talk. I smile. “As for me, Zemo, I need you to give me all you know on Hydra’s information about the Winter Soldier.”

“He’s a lost cause. He’ll never get better- been put through the brain-blender too many times. All that I know on the Winter Soldier is in a little red book, which I left in Siberia. Steve Rogers should be able to take you there.”

Steve whispers in my ear, “I can.”

“Very well, now as you know, I will not turn over any of this information over to the UN, you must give me something to tell Secretary Ross as he will ask and I must explain why I’m providing you with good meals.”

Zemo glares at me. “I will tell you that I will be more cooperative with the agents. But there isn’t much else I will tell.”

“Ok… I hope Ross believes me.”

“He will. Or things will not go his way.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Okaayy.”

I get up and go to the door. Ross rushes up. “Why were you speaking in a different language?”

“You think he’d talk if I wasn’t?”

“Well then, what did he say?”

“If I promise to give him something good with his dinner every night, he will cooperate better with your agents.”

“Really? That’s all he would say?” He turns to T’Challa. “So much for her ability. I hope she has a tab she’ll keep open. I for sure am not paying for it.”

“Secretary Ross, I have promised to pay for it. I keep my promises. I’ll pay monthly checks.” I smile.

“Ok, now go. I’m tired of seeing failures.”

“She didn’t fail,” Orroro says, “she got him to talk.”

Oh no, I did not fail. 


	8. Chapter 8

We arrive back in Wakanda in the middle of the next day. A nurse runs up.

“Your Majesty, the patient is… unwell.”

“What do you mean? Take us to him!”

We rush to the hospital where we see Barnes twisting and turning in his cryo.

“Do we let him out? What do we do?” A doctor asks. “We don’t know if he’ll come out hostile.”

“Everyone go out!” I say. “Bring Steve here.”

“Tala…” T’Challa warns.

“Trust me. Do it!” Steve rushes into the room.

“Bucky!! What’s wrong with him?”

“We don’t know, but we’re about to find out. You and I are letting him out. Everyone else is leaving.”

When everyone else vacates the room, I press the button to raise the cryo out of the floor. I raise the lid and unstrap him. He reaches out with his good arm and grabs me by the hair. He stands up, holding me off the ground.

“No!” He yells. “I won’t do it anymore!”

“Bucky! Put her down!” Steve grabs his shoulder.

Barnes releases me- I crash to the ground. He turns around and socks Steve in the chest, throwing him against the wall. He then turns to me, grabs my arm, then stops stiff.

“They have you again?” He says. “Get back!” Steve hits him over the head with a hospital tray, and he falls to the ground, pulling me with him. I get up, shaken.

“What’d he mean, ‘they have you again’?” Steve looks at me.

“I’m… not sure.” I say between breaths.

“You’ll still help, right?”

“Yes, definitely! Apparently, he was trying to protect me…”

T’Challa rushes in. “Are you ok? Don’t ever do something like that again!!”

I hug him tightly. “You know I will. That’s the type of person I am.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of…” he says.

As we walk away, I say, “T’Challa, I think he recognized me…”

“So he is the one… I wasn’t sure.”

“By the way, Steve, Wanda, and I are going to Siberia. We’re going to the Hydra facility to get Zemo’s book.”

“Well, be safe. Use our quin-jet.”

“Was planning on it.” I smile. “Thank you brother.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Today, we are going to Siberia. Yay! I guess. I really was hoping for heat, buut…

“So this facility, was it closed up after you left?” I asked.

“I don’t believe so,” Steve says, “but I don’t remember.” He scoffs. “I ran away, leaving Tony…”

“But if it’s locked up, I can open the doors for you,” Wanda smiles. “It will feel good to use my powers for something other than a fight.”

“No worries, the door is open,” Sam says.

Steve leads us inside to where the other Winter Soldier’s cryos are. I see that each one has been shot in the head, dead.

“Zemo killed them all.” Steve explains. “He never wanted another Winter Soldier out on the streets.”

“So all in all he wasn’t a terrible person. He just wanted revenge. Shows what bitterness does to a person.” I comment.   
“Where was he? Like where would he have left the book?”

“He was in that little room right there. I don’t know how he got in there. Most likely a door to the back.”

I look inside. “The book is in there!”  
Walking to the back, I see Steve is correct. I go inside and grab the book- the only thing sitting on the desk.

“Alright, let’s go! We have what we need.” Sam says. “This place creeps me out.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Back in Wakanda  
“Well Brother, I have the book. From the looks of it, Zemo has most of it uncoded and translated.”

“That is good. Be careful. Orroro has told me of a conversation with you about Barnes.” He looks at me pointedly.

I roll my eyes. “Relax. I’ll be too busy to think about romanticizing him. And after I’m done with the arm, someone’ll have something for me to fix.”

He hugs me. “Let’s just hope the thing you need to fix is not a broken heart. I don’t want you hurt, you know.”

“I know brother. I love you for that.”

“I love you too” He knuckles my head. 


	9. Chapter 9

Today, I start making an arm for Barnes.

“Bucky, I’d prefer you stay awake during this process. It may be painful, but I need to keep updates on you. Is that ok?”

“As long as you know what you’re doing.” A faint smile runs across his face.

“Well I hope I do. What I’m planning on doing is uh starting over. I’m taking off all your arm, and re-attaching your nerves to wires within the arm. I am hoping that you will be able to feel with the metal arm just as you can feel with your flesh-and-bone arm.”

“You can do that?”

“It will most likely be painful.”

“I have a high pain tolerance. Believe me, I’ve endured a lot.”

“Ok, just wanted to make sure. Also, if, uh, your arm gets blown off again, it will be the equivalent of losing your arm the first time.”

“Well I’m not planning on that happening. Living on the edge?”

“Great! Let the production begin.”

“I have a question, first. Will you need people helping you?”

“I prefer to work alone. I have my own working system.”

“Then can we be alone in your ‘work room’? I may feel the need to spill.”

“It does not matter to me.” I assure him.  
I ask everyone to leave. “If I need assistance, I will look up and make a ‘peace sign.’ Do you guys understand?”

I sit down and look at his arm. I realize that Hydra did a great welding job attaching the arm to his skin. I probably shouldn’t mess with that, but I will cut all the way up so I can reach his nerves- a task I’m not dying to do.

“I-I’m not going to take off the full arm- I’m just going cut to the smallest I can. I need to get to the nerves.”

“Ok- do as you wish. I’m not going to complain.”

“I know- I just want to let you know so you know how your arm is made.”

“Oh… well thanks?”

I get a small laser, cutting through the arm all the way up to the shoulder. I take care to not cut through each panel of the arm. I am not sure I can re-create the exact replica of a panel so I don’t want to have to re-create half of one. I turn on an LED light aimed at his shoulder. Man, it’s gross in there, but someone’s gotta do it. Putting on sterile gloves, I reach inside the hole. He hisses in pain as I touch a nerve.

“I’m sorry. You ok?”

“Yea keep going.” He looks straight ahead.

I attach the nerve to a wire with a tiny connector.

“Can you do me a favor? Try to move your arm.” I watch in awe as this wire moves. I can’t believe that I did it!

After spending four hours connecting all the nerves to wires, I sit back and rest.

“I think that’s all I’ll do today. Let me wrap these wires up so that they don’t get harmed.”

“Before you do, can I do something?”

“I guess, but be careful.”

He moves all the wires at the same time in the correct position. I smile happily. All his nerves will be where they are supposed to be.

“Thank you.” He smiles. “I don’t really think I deserve this.”

“Well I do. You could do a whole lot of good with this arm.”

I wrap up his “arm” and ask, “Do you want to go back in the cryo?”

He looks at me- almost a little disappointed… weird… now it’s gone… maybe I imagined it- and replies, “Yea that’s fine. I’ll see you later then?”

“Yeppers. Most likely tomorrow.”


	10. Chapter 10

Today, I am going to attach the wires to a base that I will build the arm around. This will be like the “bone.”

“How’s he doing?” Steve sits next to me at breakfast.

“Pretty good. He still doesn’t think he deserves the arm.”

“Well I have a feeling he never will. I don’t know how we can help him mentally.”

I snap my fingers. “B.A.R.F.!”

“What? What does throwing up have to do with it?”

T’Challa and Orroro sit down across from us. “Have to do with what?” He asks suspiciously.

“Have to do with Bucky’s mental problems.” Steve explains.

“I’m sorry- it stands for ‘Binarily Augmented Retro Framing.’ On the way to Norway I stopped to hear a lecture from Tony Stark. I’m a fan if some of his creations. Well he introduced this- he said he used it for coping with his parents’ deaths. However, it is very expensive. But I was thinking, as a friend of yours, do you think he’d help us out with it? I can pay for it- with the help of Wakanda.” I look at my brother.

Steve shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Alana, I don’t think Tony’s going to want to help us anytime soon. In fact, I don’t think he even considers me a friend anymore. And he practically tried to kill Bucky. I highly doubt he’s even going to think about doing us any favors.”

“Ok, I’ll just research it then- see if I can re-create it. If all else fails, I could prolly hack into his systems.”

“Tala, you will do no such thing.” T’Challa warns.

Steve scoffs. “No offense, but Tony is the best tech genius in the world. People have tried to hack his system, but they ending up having him hack them. It’s creepy how he does it.”

“Ahhh- well then, hacking’s out of the question. Well I gotta get to the lab. Barnes is prolly wondering why I’m not down there yet.”

I walk down to the lab. The nurses who are attending Barnes get up to leave.

“Thank you,” I nod at them. “Is he good?”

“Same as usual.” One says.

“Thanks.” They walk out of the door.

I open the cryo. “Good morning Bucky. Are you ready for me to work on your arm?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He stares straight ahead.

“Can I ask you a question? What do you think about when you stare straight ahead at the wall?”

He looks at me. “I- I don’t really think of anything. It’s just habit, I guess. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize! You have nothing to be sorry for. I was just curious.”

“Can I ask you a question? Why do you always listen to music?”

“It helps me concentrate, for one. And it makes me feel good.”

“Oh. I guess now you have those… things to use. We would have to carry around radios or phonographs.” He smiles, motioning to my phone. “What are those things?”

“This? It’s my cell phone. It uses signals running through the air to send messages and to call people.”

“So it’s kind of like a transmitter radio.”

“Yea except you don’t have to have it set on a certain wavelength. It will adjust for itself. It’s also a computer- you can store information on it. Therefore, I store songs on it.”

“How?”

I am attaching wires as I speak. “Well music is now created on files called ‘mp3’ and you can store them on a computer. I’ll havta show this all to ya after your arm is done.”

He tilts his head. “What’s this song?”

“Siri, raise the volume.”

“Sleep” by Savatage is playing. I hear the words   
“So lay back  
Call off the attack  
Cause if you look deep  
Dreams are nothing that I lack  
And all I seek  
A final chance to speak  
And I would let the whole thing keep  
If I could just sleep”

“Wow. That’s relatable.” He mumbles.

“Wanna talk about it?” I ask.

“Well, I can’t sleep.” He says. “The serum they put in me means that I always have a great metabolism and adrenaline. I also relive every bad thing I was forced to do. It’s very hard to fall asleep. I’d also like to be able to speak for myself about the ‘Winter Soldier’ so that all is understood, but… if I could get some good sleep, I’d give up that chance in a heartbeat.”

“Well, if talking about it helps, I’ll be around for a while. Tadaa!!” The “bone” is attached. “How does this feel?”

He clenches the fingers into a fist and spreads them out. “It feels good. Can- can I touch your arm?”

“Sure!” I hold out my hand.

He lightly touches my hand. “It feels… tough.”

“Yea… cuz I normally work on vehicle engines.”

“It’s not a bad thing. It is very steady and careful. I like the feel of it.”

“Well thank you,” I say. “I’m glad you have feeling in this arm. I’ll be back tomorrow to work on ya again.”

He sits back down on the cryo bench and I strap him back on. After he goes under, I walk out of the room, only to be stopped by Orroro.

“Woman, your face is red! What did he say to you?”

“Patient’s confidence,” I tease her. “What do you mean?”

“Well he obviously said something because you’re blushing.”

I hate my light complexion. “He told me that he liked the feel of my hand. Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Really? Just that and you’re smitten?” She rolls her eyes.

“I’m not smitten! I’m happy with myself for giving him feeling back in this arm.”

“Whatever you say.”

When I get stressed I like to bake cookies and blare music. The cooks know to leave me be, but our guests have never had to deal with this part of me before.

“What is the racket?” Wanda asks, coming in. “45” by Shinedown is echoing through the kitchen.

I jump. I didn’t hear her come in. “What do ya want?” I ask, mixing up dough.

She slightly smiles. “I’m sorry- I’ve never seen anyone stir batter so aggressively.”

“I’m a little stressed out. And baking is my relaxer.”

“My mom used to bake, but she died before I really had a chance to learn.” She sits at a stool. “Do you mind if I watch you?”

“No, of course not. As long as you don’t mind me yelling at the batter. I’m making chocolate-oatmeal cookies. Baking isn’t that hard. Siri, turn down the music a few notches. Sorry, now it’s easier to talk. As I was saying, it’s pretty simple. You just havta measure out the exact ingredients and mix them together.” I struggle to turn the spoon.

“Why don’t you just use that?” Wanda gestures to the electric mixer.

“Because the base of these cookies is oatmeal, which makes the batter kind of tough, which could break the mixer. I have to use my arm muscles. You should see me when I make monster cookies.”  
I turn the oven on at 350°. “Wanna help me put them on the tray?”

“Sure!”

“So do you miss being in America? Anybody you left over there?” I start rolling the batter into little balls then smushing them on the cookie tray.

She looks a little sad. “I miss Vis- Vision. He was a good friend. We kind of understood each other. Neither of us know the full extent of our powers. Thanks to Orroro, I’m starting to embrace mine. For the longest time, I was almost afraid of myself. What about you? Do you have any special friends we haven’t seen?” The oven timer dings to alert that it is hot.

“Nah, I’m too busy. Wouldn’t have the time and would feel guilty to have someone put up with me.” I slide two trays of cookies in the oven and set the timer.

“Well the king seems to like putting up with you. It’s nice seeing a brother and sister like that. It reminds me of me and my brother. He died during the fight in Sokovia.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. You know, for the first few months after Pietro’s death, I blamed Tony. After all, he was the one who created Ultron. Then I realized, I made him see his worst fear and was happy that he would do something terrible to make himself feel better. It was actually my fault. I in part caused my brother’s death and the whole Sokovia Accords crap.”

“Well don’t go too hard on yourself. I’m not fully up to date on recent happenings. I was here when you were in Sokovia though. Did you talk to the others about this?”

“No but I know what they’re going go say. They’ll say, ‘No Wanda, it’s not your fault. You didn’t realize what you were doing. Besides, Tony prolly woulda done it either way.’”

“Would he have?” The timer dings. I switch the trays to opposite racks.

“I don’t know. But they treat him like crap.”

“What do you mean?”

“He is so generous- gave us a home for free, fixed up everyone’s suits, and just tried to make life better for us- and they rip him for everything every time they can.” I get up to put two more trays of cookies in the oven. Then I remove the cooked ones from the tray.

“Wow. That definitely would make me wanna help them,” I say sarcastically.

“I- I think I’m going to tell them about Sokovia being my fault. I guess I was too afraid before because I thought at least one person would feel that way. Now I hope they all do.” She goes to walk out, then hesitates. “Will you come with me when I tell them?”

“Sure! Before you leave, do you want a cookie?”

She takes the cookie I offer her and walks out of the kitchen as T’Challa walks in.

“Stressed? Did Barnes hurt you?”

“No, he just was explaining something to me and it’s just so sad. Then I had a heart-to-heart with Wanda.” I slap his knuckles as he reaches for a cookie.

He laughs, “You know, if you were anyone else, my bodyguards would have you in a chokehold.”

“It’s pretty sad, isn’t it? The great Black Panther needs a bodyguard- female at that.” The last two trays of cookies are done. I take them of the pans.

“You forget I’m also the king.”

“Meh. Not to me. You’re just an annoying older brother.”

“As your king, I demand a cookie.”

“As your annoyed sister, I refuse.”

“Cookies? I want one!” Orroro reaches across the counter and grabs a cookie.

I roll my eyes. “Scavengers. You can have one.” After they both take a cookie, I put them in containers. Normally I would make more than one kind of cookie, but Wanda asked for help.

“I have somewhere to be- can you put my dishes in the dishwasher, please?” I ask T’Challa sweetly.

“Only for you, dear sister, will the king stoop so low,” his eyes twinkle.

“Thanks,” I blow a kiss behind me.

“I wonder what Barnes told her that made her so upset?” T’Challa comments to Orroro as she watches him load the dishwasher.

“Well he told her he likes the feel of her hand. Maybe she’s stressed that she’s crushing on him.”

“That doesn’t sound like her,” T’Challa says doubtfully. 


	11. Chapter 11

Wanda calls the team for a meeting

“Guys I have something to say.”

“Yes, Wanda, what is it?” Steve asks with concern.

“Well it’s not all Tony’s fault! I made him see his worst fear. He then created Ultron in order to make sure his fear never came true. Because of Ultron, Sokovia happened. And my brother died. And then the Accords. So all in all, its kind of my fault. I killed my brother.” She sniffs.

“Wanda, come on. It’s not your fault. It’s just Tony’s personality. You made us all see our fears, and he was the only one who acted on it.” Steve replies.

“So why is Thor not here?” Wanda counters. “And Dr. Banner? He didn’t react?”

“Wanda. Tony would probably have done it anyway.” Wanda looks at me and rolls her eyes as if to say “I told you.”

Clint gets up. “What made you think about this? Has it been eating at you for a while?”

“Yes, and I was a coward for not bringing it up sooner. Now I am owning up to it and holding myself accountable for my actions. If I’m gonna use my power, I have to deal with the responsibilities that come with it.”

Steve looks at me. “Did you tell her to say that?”

“Me? You expect me to give anyone advice? I don’t know how to deal with people on my own! I listen- I don’t tell people what to do.”

“So she discussed this with you…”

“Steve. I am capable of making my own decisions. She did not tell me to do anything. All she did was listen to me and treat me like a normal person- not a china doll that could break.”

“Gosh! I need to make more cookies!” I walk to the kitchen.

“No. You need sleep,” T’Challa steers me out of the kitchen. “You don’t wanna get fat, do ya?”

“I’m making cookies, not eating them.”

“What’s got you so upset?” Orroro asks. “Steve not give you permission to marry Bucky?”

I growl in frustration. “Can you please stop with that? They’re gonna hear and take it in full seriousness. They’re already mad at me for ‘telling-’” I use finger quotes. “Wanda to take responsibility for her powers. She told me about something and decided to talk to them without me even saying a word! Don’t get me wrong- I support her fully! But she persuaded herself. I’m just a listening ear, not a psychologist.”

“She’s doing that? That’s awesome!” Orroro smiles.

“Aw, she’s another one of your recruits? That’s nice.” T’Challa kisses her.

“Great. Make out session.” I roll my eyes. “Good night. Do that elsewhere.”

“You’re not invited to our wedding now!” T’Challa calls as my bedroom door closes. I fall onto my bed, annoyed. I need a shower, but I don’t want to get one. After sulking for a few minutes, I take a quick shower then get in bed.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
I take my cookies with me to the hospital today, sharing with the nurses before they leave.

“Good morning, Bucky. How are you?”

“Ehh, some old, same old. How about you?”

“Well I have cookies. So I’m kinda happy. Want one?”

“Cookies. I haven’t had one in like, 70 years. Sure!” Taking a bite, his eyes went wide. “I forgot how good they were. Or whoever made these is such an exceptional cook.”

“No, they’re my stress cookies. I prolly make them worse than I normally do cuz I’m mad.”

His eyebrow rises. “I don’t picture you baking to get rid of stress.”

I start working on his arm. “Oh yea? And what exactly do you picture me doing?”

“I don’t know. Throwing things? Punching things?”

“So I come across as aggressive to you?”

“In a weird way- hss!” He hisses in pain as I accidentally hit a wire.

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry. You ok?”

“Yea.”

I work in silence for about 10 minutes until he asks. “So- so what happened after the war?”

“Well Russia and the US went into a ‘Cold War’ in which they basically tried to out-gun each other. Each time, one of them was like one step ahead. After a while, it wasn’t just an arms race. They took the race to space. Russia sent the first satellite to space, and the US got the first person on the moon.”

“I kinda feel like I heard something about the satellites. What exactly are they?”

“They fly around the Earth and can send and receive signals from anywhere in the world. They have names, too. I forget the first American one’s name, but Russia’s was ‘Sputnik.’” His head drops.   
I look up, surprised. “Bucky?”

He doesn’t respond. I stand up and push his head back. He’s out cold! That’s weird. I pull the little red book out of my purse. I gotta find a better place to keep it. I also need to take time to read it. I find the page where they had written down his trigger words. Below this passage, there is one that reads “if the asset is out of control, enunciate ‘Sputnik.’ This causes him to black out.”

“Oh gosh. I didn’t mean to do that.” I look at him, seeing he’s starting to wake up.

“What happened?” He looks confused.

“I kinda inadvertently found the word that turns your brain off and you black out…”

“What? I don’t remember having this word…”

“They had it so they could still control you if they couldn’t physically.”

“Oh, so… if you know that word, would it be ok if- if I stayed out of the cryo?”

“You could always have stayed out of it. We left it up to you.”

“I know but I’m dangerous. If you think it’s safe to let me out now because of that word, I would love to re-learn the world.”

“You really want us to use the word? I could never do it.”

“If I get triggered, I wouldn’t mind you using the word. I’d rather not have the whole world know it- or else I’d be powerless. I was like that too long.”

“So you trust me?”

“I’ve trusted you so far, and you haven’t given me reason to not.”

I look down- I only have to do his hand and his arm will be done. “Gee thanks.” I grin at him. “Now do you want me to finish?”

“Yes please.”

“I’m using vibranium for your arm- you know, the stuff from which Cap’s shield is made. It catches the impact. So you’ll feel this…” I touch his forearm. “But you might not feel this as much.” I throw my screwdriver at his bicep.

“Ahhh. That’ll be helpful.”

“Yeaup. Consider that a gift from Wakanda.” I am layering the plates on his fingers. “I think I’m done now. Why don’t you try it out?”

He stretches his arm out, twists it, and flexes his fingers. “If something goes wrong, you can fix it right?”

“Most likely. I made it; I should be able to fix it.”

He stands up and looks about uncomfortably. “About staying awake… where am I supposed to stay?”

“You’ll get your own room just like the rest of your friends.”

He looks sheepish. “I don’t… really know any of them.”

“Do you want a room near Steve- so you don’t feel weird?”

“I don’t care- he’s tried to talk to me several times, and I don’t always know what to say. I haven’t really been able to hold a real conversation with anyone but you. Could- could I still talk to you if I need someone to talk to?”

“Sure! I don’t mind.”

“Thanks.”

“Let’s move you to a bedroom.”


	12. Chapter 12

“So you found like a reverse-trigger word?” Sam asks. “And he wants you to use it?”

“He said only if I needed to.” I frown. “But I’m not sure I’d wanna use it at all. I don’t want that much power over anyone.”

Orroro nudges T’Challa. “You better not die anytime soon then.”

“So where is he now?” Steve asks.

“In the room at the end of your hall.”

He thanks me and walks out.

“About this word, though,” Sam seems interested. “Can you tell me what it is?”

“Patient’s confidence,” I retort.

“Well what if he’s gonna kill everybody and you’re not around?”

“He’s not.”

“Well good night. I’m going to bed.” I say. I walk through the guest hallway on the way to my room. I hear Steve talking to Bucky.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   
I am usually not an early riser, but I woke up this morning full of energy at 4:00 AM. Maybe cuz that’s sometimes when I go to bed. I put on a robe and walk out to go to the kitchen. As I walk through the parlor, my heart jumps to my throat when I see someone sitting on the chair.

He looks up, and sees me jump. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s ok- I just wasn’t expecting anyone else to be up.”

“Couldn’t sleep. Steve and I talked for a long time about old memories, then he went to bed, and then I was left with some not-so-fond memories.”

“That doesn’t sound good. Hey, want some hot chocolate? I’m making some. Maybe it’ll help you relax.”

“What is it? Like hot cocoa?”

“Its exactly that.”

“Sure then.”

I come back out of the kitchen with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. I hand him one and sit down. He holds the mug on both hands.

“It’s warm.” He comments.

“Yea. It tastes good too.”

“Very sweet,” he says.

“I know why you can’t sleep.”

“Really?”

“Yes, you haven’t really had sugar in a long time, and here I am, giving you enough to give you a sugar high.”

He laughs, “yea I wish.”

I smile at him. I’m not gonna push him to talk about it if he doesn’t want to.

“It’s like I’m watching a video of everyone I’ve killed. And I can just see the hurt and desperation on their faces. It never registered to me when I was doing it cuz I was in like a stupor but I saw it all. And I can never do anything about it to help them. I can’t make it up to them. None of their families- if I didn’t kill all them, too- will forgive me. You see how Tony Stark reacted.”

“I think people will realize that you had no control over what you did. Remember when I had that song ‘Sleep’ on and you were sayin that you’d like to ‘speak for yourself’? I personally would like to think that if they knew what happened to you, there would be no way a person couldn’t forgive you. I’d feel guilty for not forgiving you.”

“Thanks.” He smiles, then lays his head back on the top of the sofa.

I finish my hot chocolate and curl up on the recliner. We sit in silence until the others start getting up.

Steve gets up first and walks out to the kitchen, on the phone. “Hi, Nat- how are you?...”   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Steve’s conversation with Natasha  
“Hi Steve, pretty good. What’s up?”

“Just calling to see how things are over there.”

“Pretty much the same. Pepper’s slowly getting bigger, Tony’s quickly stressing out, and Rhodey or I go there every day to help with something. Surprisingly, they haven’t argued a whole lot. These babies are making them more at peace with each other now then ever.”

“That’s good. Bucky got his arm back, and they found a word that makes him completely shut down and black out. He’s now out of the cryo and in a room.”

“So they wouldn’t let him leave the cryo until they could control him? That doesn’t sound right.”

“Yea, I don’t trust the girl who was working on his arm. She acts a lot- too much- like Tony, just not as egotistical. There’s just something about her…”

“They got a girl to work on his arm?” Natasha laughs. “Nice.”

“She did a great job. Definitely knows her stuff. But she also got a hold of the red book that Zemo used to set Bucky off. I really hope she’s not waiting to release him whenever she wants.”

“Can she speak the words in Russian?”

“She can speak several languages- including Sokovian and Russian.”

“Sounds like an evil genius.”

“Yea, that’s what I’m afraid of.” Steve sighs. “I kinda miss having Tony around, Nat.”

“I hate to say this but I don’t think he missed you.”

“Alright. Well I guess I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Nat.”

“Bye Steve.”

Steve sits down at the table and puts his head in his hands.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A blast from the past

A few days pass with little happening. I fix a few of the guards vehicles and wake up early in the mornings to see if Bucky needs to talk.

I also have had the time to read through the red book. It’s a log on the activities of the Winter Soldier. Apparently, he was “rescued” in the 1940’s but fought their control until the ‘60s. Impressive.   
I didn’t recognize the names of most people he killed but there were a few that stuck out. John Kennedy in 1964, Howard & Maria Stark in 1991, and Sheila Anderson in 2007.

Who is the last person , you ask? She is my biological mother. She was a column writer, rally starter, and often a first responder to tragedies. My mother was a huge advocate for peace, which has been passed to me. Unlike most crusaders, she was for the most part successful, which must have scared Hydra. Why else would they want to kill her?

I had never met my father. He wasn’t even around when I was born. Mom always saud that he wasn’t a good man and had lots of problems. I was almost glad I didn’t know him. She said he probably didn’t even know I lived. Still I always wondered what he was like.

My mother was killed the day after my birthday in our own house. I had just walked in from school…

“Mom? You home?” I had noticed the bathroom light on. I walk over to see her lying on the floor- barely breathing and clutching her chest.

“Alana!” She had whispered. “Get out of here… he’s still here!”

“Mom? Who? What’s wrong?”

“Take this,” She had held out a folder. “Find your dad…”

“But you said he’s a bad guy… and he wouldn’t want me!” I started crying by then, taking the folder and shoving it in my schoolbag.

Suddenly a huge hand clamped over my mouth. Is it… metal?? I bit it, but it didn’t seem to affect the person at all. He picked me up, schoolbag and all, and walked out of the house.

The man blindfolded me, made me lie down, and took me to an underground prison, where he lived, I had assumed. As soon as we got in, a few men pulled me from my captor’s grasp, and stuck me in a prison. Their leader said, “watch over her” to my captor in Russian. I was just learning it in school and could make out those words. He stood like the Rock of Gibraltar outside my cell. I started crying, just getting over the shock of seeing my mother die and getting kidnapped. The man shifts uncomfortably, as if he’s never dealt with a crying captive before.

Pretty soon, the leader comes back and talks to the man in Russian. I can’t really make any of it out- they are talking too fast. The leader says something, and my captor stiffens. He replies and looks back at me. I huddle up, trying to look as small as possible so they cant see me. The leader smacks him in the face and yells at him, then yells over his shoulder. Two more men come and force my captor to sit down. They all proceed to yell at him and hit him, and he just stares blankly ahead – as if he’s used to it. The leader starts talking slow- so now I can understand him.

He says, “You are a great asset, now act like it. Get up.”

My captor just stares straight ahead, not making eye contact. And does not get up.

Finally, the leader gives up. He yells a command then walks out the room. The men force my captor against my cell door and chain him there. After a few more good hits and kicks to the solar plexus, they walk out too.

I look at my captor curiously- is that a metal arm? How on Earth? He looks like a kicked puppy. It seems like he is almost as much a captive as I am.

I shouldn’t feel compassion- he didn’t for me! And he killed my mom!! But my mom’s words were eating away at me. Whenever I would be mad at someone, she would always say, “Alana, you have two choices. You could stay angry and have your anger destroy you, or you could forgive them and be free of the bitterness. Now which one is more healthy?” To which I’d always mumble, “Forgiving…” Now, to see this man who has probably done many terrible things in his life for these people, look so small and scared, I felt compassion. I walk up to him, reach through the bars and touch his shoulder. He tenses up and looks at me angrily, which to be honest, looked terrifying.

“Mr.,” I say in halting Russian, “I don’t know who you are or why you do such terrible things, but you obviously are a victim as much as you are a bad guy. Therefore, I forgive you for killing my mom.”

He looks at me, still a little angrily. Then his eyes widen, and his head falls. He stands like this for the rest of the night.

The next day, a the leader brings a doctor with him to “check up on me.” He tells me in German. I don’t trust this man- he seems like a total sleaze ball.

I stiffen. “No. I’m perfectly fine and don’t need to be checked.”

The leader looks mad. “You will do as I tell you!”

The man with the metal arm stands up straight and looks directly at the leader, whose face shows a flicker of fear. “No.”

“Sit down!” The leader is now shaking. Is it fear or anger?

My captor does not move single muscle.

“She will die,” the doctor says.

Still no movement.

The leader pulls out a phone, walks away, and starts talking. After a few minutes he comes back and tells the others that they should not worry about dealing with “the child” today. Then he shakes his fist at my captor and tells him he “will be punished.”

Three days pass with not much happening. I am fed and am left to myself. I spend most of my time trying to sleep.

On the fourth day of my capture, something different happens. Four men come and push my captor against the cell door. They attach his arm to wires. The leader walks in and starts saying words to him.

“No!” He yells, but the leader keeps talking until my captor relaxes and says “Ready to comply.”

They unchain him and he walks out. The leader calls in a woman. “Regina, check her up. See if she’s healthy.”

She comes into my cell, takes my temperature, my eyesight, and my reflexes.

“Healthy enough,” she eyes the leader. “What are you going to do to her?”

“Take her to the room,” the leader yells.

“No,” I say.

The leader stops. “What. Did. You.   
Say?”

“I’m not leaving my cell,” I am trembling now, but determined to stand my ground.

“You know the asset will…” Regina tells the leader.

“Fine. We shall do it here.” He scowls. “Bring in the chair!”

The chair? They brought me here just to kill me? A soldier rolls in a chair with a formula attached. Regina attaches the formula to my arm with an IV.

“This will hurt,” she warns. “Now sit in the chair before they do worse to you.”

I sit in the chair.

“Power up…” the leader says.

The chemicals in the formula are being put in my blood!! Regina was right- it hurt- a lot! I bit my lip to keep from screaming.

“Why is it not going faster?” Regina asks.

“Because of the lack of power.” The leader grins. “She chose to do it out here- we have just enough power so that it won’t kill her because of the length of the experiment. It’s her fault.”

I am in intense pain for two hours. Just imagine sharp knives traveling through your veins- it’s painful. Suddenly there’s a deep growl. It’s the man they call the “asset”. He throws people out of the way, goes into my cell, destroys the plug, and pulls the IV out of my arm. I slump, relieved that the pain is over.

“Look what you did! You killed her!” The leader yells. The asset turns and look at me. He puts his fingers on my neck to feel my pulse, and I sit up.

The leader grabs a clamp from a cart that was by my chair and sticks it on the asset’s arm. It’s like a taser, and he’s helpless.

“Take him away.” The leader says to his henchmen. Then, turning to me, “Wait until tomorrow. You ‘Savior’ won’t even know who you are.” He sneers. “Then how safe will you feel?”

“What do you want from me?” I ask angrily.

“We shall see what you can do…” He says, shuts my cell, and walks away.

I think that I will feel sore and wiped out in the morning, but when I wake up, I feel… almost energetic. I feel stronger. That’s weird.

Hearing footsteps, I sit up. The leader is back- with the asset. I remember his words “Your ‘Savior’ won’t even know who you are.” His face has a look of triumph.

“Teach her, Soldier.” The leader says. “Let me see if she will be good in the Red Room.”

I stand up. “I’m not learning to fight.”

“Yes you are. Or I will kill someone.”

“Who?”

“I can find out who I could kill that would hurt you. A close friend, perhaps? A family member? Thousands of innocent lives? I could do all of them. And I’ll use him” pointing to the asset “to do it. Now you will learn to fight.”

The asset comes into my cell. I notice that his clothing seems a little more restricted than before. His shirt looks almost like a straight jacket- was it because of me? As he comes closer, his eyes widen and he grunts.

Within the next few days, I was very well trained in self-defense. The asset only was around when I trained. One day, the leader stops us.

“You! Teach her the offensive fight, too!”

At that time, I realize what he’s doing. He still recognizes me, but he’s protecting himself while also teaching me to protect myself.

“She’ll never fight for you…” he says.

The leader smacks him across the face. “I can threaten her. You know Hydra’s ways.”

“What do you have to threaten me   
with?” I ask. “I have nothing. You already took everything.”

The leader smirks. Then walks away.

I sit down. “Thank you.”

He just looks at me blankly, then walks out of my cell. When the Hydra soldiers grab him, he doesn’t even fight them.

I am woken up early in the morning by Regina.

“Do you want to get out of here?” She asks.

“Yes, but how am I gonna get out?”

“Hydra leaders do not want to spend more time trying to train you when you keep fighting them. They have soldiers who will willingly do their work. They are going to sell you.”

“What? Why?”

“Would you rather work for Hydra?” She smirks.

“No.”

They must have put something in my food because I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until we were far away from the Hydra base.

All I know is we are in a country that isn’t averse to human trafficking. When it’s my turn to go on the auction block, I raise my head high and look out over the people. They all look sketchy. I’d rather not be sold to any of them. The auction starts.

The bids start at 100, then slowly get higher. Two men keep raising the bids by 10 after the other. It gets to 110,000 and then a voice yells, “1,000,000!”  
The two men sit down in defeat. I am sold at the steep price of 1,000,000. My owner probably won’t let me forget it.

“Sold! To the short man in the back! Come get your purchase!” The auctioneer says.

A small, stout man with two women makes his way to the front. It was King T’Chakka of Wakanda- although I did not know it then. He raised me as his own daughter and never held the price he paid over my head.

That is the story of how I became the princess of Wakanda.

Back in the present  
I keep reading the book. There was a passage on the times “the asset” was almost uncontrollable. Well, he fought the Hydra control for about 20years after his capture. There were only two other times he even questioned their control. The first time, his fiasco with me. And the second time, when Steve recognized him. This man has had a hard life. I wonder what his life was like before the war. I could ask Steve. 


	14. Chapter 14

“Tala, today you are taking the day off,” T’Challa tells me at breakfast. “Get out of the palace and do something.”

“Why? I’m perfectly fine with working.”

“You’ve been so tense and annoyed lately and I’m tired of it. I think its because you’re not sleeping very well, which is a result of all the things you’ve been worrying about.”

This is a fight I know I won’t win. Every once in a while, Father or T’Challa would force me to stop whatever work I was doing for a day and just relax- read a book, take a nap, get outside.

I sigh. “Fine. Meanie.”

“Well you obviously know you need it cuz you gave in so easily.”

“Ya might wanna watch her, honey, she has never given in that easily- even when she was waaayy worse than this.”

“Don’t even try to go to your workshop today. You’re not working today.” T’Challa warns.

“Ok- fine.”

When I’m done eating, I walk through the living room to get to my room. Bucky is sitting on a chair, reading a book.

“Whatcha reading?” I ask him.

“The Hunger Games,” he says. “Wanda let me borrow it.”

“Does she have Catching Fire and Mockingjay, too?”

“I think so- but she said one book at a time.”

“Would you wanna go for a walk today? See Wakanda?”

“Sure. I haven’t really been out of the house, have I?”

“Nah. I’m getting dressed then going if you’ll be ready.”

“Probably. How long do you take?” He grins.

“I’ll be five minutes.”

I want to show him all my favorite places that I used to go to when I was younger. I show him the huge panther statue that “guards” our country, the vibranium mines, and other landmarks.

“Hey, Alana.”

I roll my eyes when I hear the familiar snide voice of an old school acquaintance. “Hello David. What do you want?”

“It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen you. I know you went to Norway for a year, then you were stuck in the palace to get over a crush on one of the guys from America. So which one is it? The gorgeous blond hunk? Or maybe it’s that guy? Really Alana? He’s so full of hate and violence. He’s gonna kill you someday.” He stares at Bucky, who’s so interested in the workings of the mine that he’s kind of oblivious to my having a conversation.

“David. I was not holed up in the palace because I have a dumb crush on anyone. I don’t have time for that. I was rebuilding his arm.”

“Of course. King T’Challa had to ask you. He wouldn’t dream of asking anyone else. So why are you walking with him?”

“You sound a little spiteful. And what is wrong with me walking with him? It’s the same as saying you’re jealous because you’re confronting me about it.”

“Well let’s see if he gets jealous.” He wraps his arms around me and squeezes my butt.

“David! Get off me. Right now.” I growl, trying to twist out of his arms.

“Oh no! He’s looking up! And now he’s coming over!!” He lets go then grabs my arm, pulling me towards the mine. “You want her? Come get her!” He yells at Bucky, pulling out a gun.

Bucky stops for a second, looking at me as if asking, “what should I do?” Then hearing David’s gun cock, his eyes seem to glaze over. He walks right towards David, who now seems scared stiff.

“I will shoot!” David yells. He pulls the trigger, and just barely misses Bucky. My ear starts to itch and I pinch it. Bucky grabs the gun as David pushes me over the railing into the mine. Bucky grabs my shirt, but it rips and I am falling… fast.

Suddenly something metal clamps around my leg, then over my feet, my other leg, and so on until I am trapped within this…. Is it a suit?


	15. Chapter 15

Up above, Bucky looks over the railing in disbelief clutching the torn part of my shirt. People are starting to gather.

“What just happened?” He asks.

“You killed her!” David accuses. “All because of your stupid jealousy. She’s not yours, you know. She could never have liked you- you have too much baggage and she told me she didn’t have the time. And now she’s dead.”

“Sir, please drop your weapon and put your hands up.” Some of the royal guard take a hold of Bucky and he lets them while he kneels to the ground, defeated.

T’Challa walks up. “What’s going on?”

“Your Majesty, Alana is dead- thrown into the mines. All because of this man.” David points at Bucky. “She was talking to me and he came up, gun in hand and tried to fight me. He must have been so blind with rage because he threw her instead of me. I’m guessing he was jealous.”

“Is this what happened?” T’Challa asked Bucky, his eyes pleading for it to not be true. “How did you get a gun? Alana better not have given to you.”

“I- I don’t know. I cant remember.”

Steve, Sam, Wanda, and Clint arrive to the scene. “What happened?” Steve asks.

“Your friend had another freak out and threw the princess into the mine.” Orroro spat at him.

“Buck?” Steve asks.

“I must have. That’s what they’re all saying.”

“After all she did for you.” T’Challa is angry. “After all I did for you…”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Meanwhile in Malibu, California  
“My suit’s gone! How on earth is my suit gone?” Tony Stark was going crazy.

Col. Rhodes and Natasha were with him, trying to calm him down. “Tony, it’s linked to your DNA, right? Maybe one of your third cousin’s twice removed needed it.”

“Rhodey, now is not the time to be funny! You know that it wouldn’t go to someone like that- not enough DNA! I need to know where that suit is.”

“Ask FRIDAY. Do you have a tracking device on it?”

“Thank you, Nat. FRIDAY?”

“Working on it, boss.” The artificial intelligence system replied. “I found the location of the suit- it is in Wakanda.”

“Rhodey, Nat, put on suits. We’re going to Wakanda.”

“Is that the best idea, Tony?”

“I don’t care. I’m going.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
I sit up.

“Hello, my name is FRIDAY. Are you in trouble?”

I gasp. “Who are you and where am I?” There is a small screen in front of my face, scanning out the area in front of me.

“It seems that you are at the bottom of a vibranium mine.”

“Oh so you’re the voice system inside the contraption I’m in? What is it?”

“I am Mr. Stark’s artificial intelligence. You are in an Iron Man suit.”

“Oh really? Can you help me get out of here?”

“Just try the repulsors.”

I try letting energy out of the feet to shoot up, but I’m unstable.

“The hand repulsors will steady you.”

“Thank you, FRIDAY.”

I shoot out of the mine to see soldiers taking Bucky away, T’Challa watching him leave. When they hear me, everyone stops.

Steve goes, “Tony?”

“Yes?” Three more suits come into vision. Someone speaks from the one in the middle. 


	16. Chapter 16

Steve spins. “What is going on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know. There is someone in the suit and I’d like to know who it is.” Mr. Stark points at me.

I land. “FRIDAY? Can you let me out?”  
The front plates retract and I step out.

T’Challa gasps. “Alana! How?”

The other Iron Man suits land and out walk Mr. Stark, a redhead, and another man.

“Natasha? Col. Rhodes.” Clint nods at them. “What is going on?”

T’Challa steps up. “There will be no fighting going on here.”

“No problem. But how did this ‘Alana’ get my suit?”

“First of all, what are they doing with Barnes? I saw Khali and Anama taking him away.”

“He threw you in the mine…” T’Challa now notices my ripped shirt.

“No he didn’t. Where’s David?”

He had slipped away unnoticed.

“Excuse me. I have a question that hasn’t been answered.” Tony cuts in.

“We will talk back at the palace. If you were already living there, you may go back. Also, you three may.” I turn to the guards. “Arrest David Lahsa, take us back to the palace, and bring Barnes to us. Thank you.” I get in the royal vehicle.

“Well maybe T’Challa can die soon,” Orror teases. “You handed that majestically.”

“Please let’s not talk about anyone dying. It was scary,” I reply.

“So what actually happened?” Asked T’Challa, giving me a long hug. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“I was showing Bucky the vibranium mines when David started talking to me. He said that he’d heard that I was holed up in the palace to help get over a crush on one of the ‘newcomers’, then saw Bucky. So he grabbed me to try to make Bucky jealous. I don’t know what Bucky was thinking, but he walked up, probably to ask where we were going next. David pulled out a gun to threatened to shoot him. Then Bucky went into Winter Soldier mode and started walking towards David, who then shoved me over the railing. Bucky grabbed the gun from him and the back of my shirt at the same time, but my as you can see, my shirt ripped. As I fell, the Iron Man suit just attached itself to me and saved me.”

“That’s not what we heard. David had a few friends to say the same.”

“There was only the three of us there! There seriously was no one else anywhere!”

“I’m not saying I don’t believe you because I believe you 100%. I remember what David did to torment you back in high school.”

We get to the palace, and I make everyone go to the meeting room. Barnes is placed in a chair, still handcuffed.

“What did he do?” Mr. Stark asks.

“Tony,” Steve says, almost condescendingly, “it’s none of your business.”

Tony shakes his head and walks away.

I turn to Attala, the head of the guard. “Did they find Lahsa yet?”

“No, but all the country knows to look for him.”

“Alright! Everyone sit down! We’re here to get everything straightened out.”

Everyone sits. “Unchain Barnes.” I command. “He did nothing wrong.”

“Now, King T’Challa wants to know what happened at the mine, and Mr. Stark wants to know what happened with his suit. This account will tell both.”

“I was showing Bucky the vibranium mines when David Lahsa started talking to me. He said that he’d heard that I was holed up in the palace to help get over a crush on one of the ‘newcomers’, then saw Bucky. So he grabbed me to try to make Bucky jealous, for whatever reason. I don’t know what Bucky was thinking, but he walked up, probably to ask where we were going next. David pulled out a gun to threatened to shoot him. Then Bucky went into Winter Soldier mode and started walking towards David, who then shoved me over the railing. Bucky grabbed the gun from him and the back of my shirt at the same time, but my as you can see, my shirt ripped. As I fell, the Iron Man suit just attached itself to me and saved me. Does anyone have any questions.”

“Yes,” Mr. Stark says. “Did you, by any chance pinch your ear or something before you fell.”

“Actually, yes, my ear was unbearably itchy, so I pinched it. Why?”

  
“Can I ask you another question first? It’s almost obvious that you, as princess of Wakanda, are not a blood sister to the king. Can I have your parents’ names?”

“My mother was Sheila Anderson.”

He visibly starts. “And your father?”

“I don’t know. She never told me, but I don’t think she liked him. Mom always said he had problems.”

“Well if he left you two alone, I can see why. Sheila Anderson… FRIDAY, look up Sheila Anderson.” As the information comes up in front of Stark, he starts reading. “Died of a heart attack on September 29, 2007. Was a well-known activist. Had a 15 year old daughter- only reason people knew was because if police officers searching house and seeing pictures. Also her will… she leaves all to daughter Alana. There is a folder with all Alana’s information- also includes the father. Folder never found. Weird thing about case- doctors claimed her to be in perfect health. Also, the house looked like it was broken into- things strewn all over the floor. It was as if someone knew about the folder and the daughter and kidnapped her.” He looks at me. “I’m guessing you know nothing about the folder?”

“Actually, yes I do. She gave it to me right before she died. I must have it somewhere… unless… I’ll look for it.” Unless it was in the Hydra bunker.

“Ok. Please look. I have a feeling I know who your father is…” Starks eyes are sad.

“Yes sir. Anyone else have any questions?”

“Yes.” Steve speaks up. “If you are the daughter of Sheila Anderson, why didn’t you alert the government about it? Didn’t you or your mother have friends or family that might be worried?”

“I didn’t even think about alerting the government- it never crossed my mind. I had no friends, and I don’t think my mom had many. We were kind of alone in the world. I loved my mother, but I never wanted to go back- especially with her gone. Anything else?”

I hear several “no’s.”

“Okay.” I walk up to Bucky. “Are you ok? Let’s get you out of here.”

As we walked out, he asked, “So I didn’t hurt you?”

“Oh no! You tried your best to stop my fall.”

“So why’d that guy try to frame me?”

“I’ve known him since high school, and my whole life, he’s tried to make my life miserable. He told me today that there were rumors that I had romantic feelings towards one of you guys, then he saw you. Then he grabbed and groped me to see how you’d react. Then when you started walking over, he got scared. He shot at you, and you deflected the shot with your hand. That’s what made him push me over- he was so afraid of what you might do to him. They’ve all heard stories.”

“So you are a shrink.” He grins. “You just psychoanalyzed him. I guess that’s why he told me that I killed you all because of my stupid jealousy. He said, ‘She’s not yours, you know. She could never have liked you- you have too much baggage and she told me she didn’t have the time. And now she’s dead.’ And I want you to know that I don’t have to come to you with all my problems. Here I am burdening you, and Steve would probably be overjoyed to help me.”

“What David said, that’s not what I told him. He was teasing me about the one of you guys that I liked, and I told him that I didn’t have the time for a relationship. I never did. I’m always fixing things, researching, or whatever. My brother forces me to take days off where I’m not allowed to work. I’d hate to force a guy to put up with that- even if, especially if I loved him.”

“Oh ok- well I’ll just see what happens.”


	17. Chapter 17

I look around that night for anything that I may have kept from when King T’Chakka saved me. Looking in my keepsake boxes in my room and in the storage room, I finally find my schoolbag with my homework in it and a manilla folder. I rush down the stuars and through the hallway to show T’Challa and Tony.

“Brother! I found it- my ID.” I hold up the folder.

Tony sits up and gingerly leans forward, as if he was going to handle this information very sensitively. “Let’s see it.”

I open the folder. First is my birth certificate, then my social security card. The father is listed as “unknown” on my birth certificate. Next, come pictures of me as a baby to the age of 7. Then a letter addressed to me. I read it out loud.

“Dear Alana,” it reads. “If you are reading this, it is most likely because I am dead. It is about your father. I know he is listed as unknown in your birth certificate, but in reality, I know who he is- almost too well. He was a good friend since school, but as he got older, he started having issues. His family wasn’t the closest, he was too rich, and just started getting famous because of his father. I may have been the only person to love him at that. Then, his parents died, and he couldn’t do anything about it. Emotionally unstable, he turned to me for comfort… and you know the rest. He left before I even knew I was pregnant, and when I realized I was, I didn’t tell him. First, I wasn’t sure if I wanted him in your life because he was so messed up and always claimed he didn’t want children. Second of all, I was afraid that he wouldn’t believe me. Honey, you look and act more like him -the good parts of him- every day. I know I’ll have to tell you… Your father’s name is Tony Stark.” I look at him, startled. He smiles sadly, nodding his head. “It is kind of ironic- as I was always fighting for peace, and his father was an arms’ manufacturer. When I die, please go to him. Give him this letter and the one behind it. At least try. Don’t get offended if he wants to take a DNA test- it’s what they do. Honey, I love you, and I’m sorry if I made your life terrible. Love Mom.”

“Soooo…” T’Challa sits back, shocked.

“So you are… my dad…”I say.

“I believe so- is that ok?”

“I- I think so… We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Speaking of… what happened to you?”

“I’d rather not speak about it at this time. I will tell when the time is right.” Then it really hits me what’s going on. “So this is all real? You’re my father?”

“Well it adds up- you’re birthday is?”

“September 28, 1992.”

He counts back nine, “Yea, my parents died in December of 1991. They may make us take a DNA test, though. Would you want to live in America? You are still an American citizen.”

“Well right now, I think they need me here… unless we can get the others back to America.”

“That I will work on.” He turns to T’Challa. “As you are her brother, you are always welcome, also, no matter what she decides to do.”

“Thank you, Stark.”

“Now let’s go get the team.” Tony calls everyone together for a group meeting.

“Everyone, we have news!” He calls out, quieting everyone down. “We found out who the princess’s biological father is- it’s me.”

Everyone is dumbstruck. After recovering from the shock, they demand the whole story. I still leave out Hydra’s capture of me- promising to tell it at a later date.

I spend the next few days getting acquainted with Tony, Natasha, and Col. Rhodes. Tony kept making sure Rhodes was alright. Apparently he had a spinal injury and was just walking again.

“You should come to America sometime and meet up with the rest of my family- and by that I mean Pepper and my bots. And if you come after about 5 months, you’ll see an additional two people to the family.”

“Aww that’s cute. Do you know what you’re having?”

“A boy and a girl.” Tony is glowing with pride.

“Aww! I’ll have little siblings!! I have a question about the suit that saved me. You asked if I pinched my ear? What would that have to do with it?”

“That suit is made to come to anyone with my DNA- which you apparently have some. But I had to have a way to call it to me. I did research and it seems like people pinch their ears subconsciously when they are afraid. This suit is more for safety than attack. Although you could do some damage with it. They said you made Barnes’ arm. Would it offend you if I took a look at it?”

“No go ahead- as long as you don’t take it apart. Also, as long as he doesn’t mind. Hey Tony- can I still call you Tony right now?, before you go, can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“I was in Norway for a year or so when you guys had all your fights n whatever. I came home to find Steve and his friends all holed up here.” He starts shifting uncomfortably. “But on my way to Norway, I stopped in America to see one of your lectures. It was on the Binarily Augmented Retro Framing.”

“Ahh BARF.”

“Yes that. I was wondering- I know Barnes hurt you when he killed your parents- but if it was all payed for, could you set that up to help him?”

“I will think about it. Although it wasn’t really Barnes who hurt me. I know he wasn’t in control of his mind. Yea, I was mad at him when I saw the video, but I’m more upset that Steve didn’t tell me. He knew about it! And he decided that letting me think my father got drunk and crashed the car was better than knowing my father pleaded for my mother’s life. I’m sorry- I don’t mean to burden you with this crap.”

“Why does everyone think they’re ‘burdening’ me? I don’t mind listening, especially if they just need to vent and don’t need guidance. I’d be a crappy psychiatrist.”

“Well maybe if we have time later, I’ll talk to you. I want to look at Barnes’ arm, then I have to get home to Pepper. Wanna come with me?”

“To look at the arm? Or see Pepper?”

“Whichever one you want?”

“I’ll look at my masterpiece with you, but there’s too much stuff to do here. I’ll have to meet Pepper a different time. She sounds lovely, though.”

“That she is.”

We walk into the living room where most people are. Bucky is sitting on w recliner, making himself as small as he could.

I walk over to him. “Bucky, you got a minute?”

He sits up, “yea, sure, what’s up?”

“Do you mind if Tony looks at your arm? I promise he won’t do anything to it.”

“Only if you come, too.”

“Was planning on it.” I smile.

Steve watches us suspiciously as the three of us walk into the kitchen, where T’Challa and Orroro are. They have just left the throne room to grab a quick meal.

Bucky sits at the end of the table, and Tony takes the seat to his left and I to his right.

“Can I lift a plate or two?” Tony inquires.

“Yea, but not too many, or they might not slide into place right.”

He puts on his glasses and lifts up a plate. He sits back, impressed, I’m guessing.

“Wow. And you made these all yourself? It is state of the art. Can you feel anything with this arm?” He asks Bucky.

“Yes, she attached my nerves to small wires in the arm.”

“But the arm is vibranium,” I put in, “so he can feel things, but if something hits him hard, it won’t really hurt because the vibranium will spread out the impact.”

“Well this little genius has done you a whole lotta good.” Tony looked at Bucky. “Make sure you respect that.”

“I will.”

“And because of her, I’m gonna do you a whole lotta good, too. I’ll be back soon, and I’ll set up a graphical thing that helped me deal with my parents’ death and Afghanistan. It should help you.”

“About your parents, I realized I never said I’m sorry. So I’m saying it now. I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you. And thank you for helping me. You’re a better man than me.”

“First of all, you don’t need to apologize. From the stories I heard about you from Dad, you never woulda done it if your mind still belonged to you. It may have been your body, but it wasn’t you. Steve is the one who should apologize. And for BARF, I’m glad my invention can help someone in need of it.” Tony says, rather gruffly. He turns to T’Challa, who has been watching our little meeting interestedly. “Thank you for your hospitality. I must be going as to look after a pregnant fiancee’.”


	18. Chapter 18

“Tony,” Steve stands up. “Before you leave, can I talk to you in private?”

“Sure, Cap.” They walk into the hallway. “What’s up?”

“Thank you for doing the thing for Bucky. But about Alana- doesn’t things seem to be a little coincidental to you? How can you be sure she’s your daughter? And why won’t she talk about what happened to her? Doesn’t that seem a little phony?”

“Well first of all, the suit I made that saved her, I made it to come to people with my DNA only… Second of all, I was with her mother at that time- gosh those eyes look so much like Sheila. If that’s not enough, how about you think of all the stuff she has done for you guys. And I overheard Clint tell Nat that she acts like me. What would her motive be to be my daughter if she wasn’t? She’s just as smart or smarter than me and half my age!”

“I’m just saying to be careful.”

“You know what, Steve? I appreciate your concern, but I know what’s best for me, not you. And next time you have something that concerns me or my family, tell me. You get it? Sheesh, your pretentiousness knows no bounds! And do you really not like her, or are you just jealous she spends more time with your beloved Bucky than you do? Maybe he doesn’t have anything to relate with you anymore!” He turns and walks away.

Nat walks up to Steve. “Hey, you know how you ‘miss Tony’? Nice going. She seems like a great girl.”

“Hey Tony,” Nat calls. “Just got new from Ross. All airlines are being shut down in America. We havta wait until tomorrow to leave.”

“Great. Then I gotta call Pepper.”


	19. Chapter 19

After Tony leaves the kitchen, T’Challa says, “Well this is all unexpected. What are you planning on doing?”

“I have no idea. I figure I’ll be where I’m needed most, which I believe right now is here.” I slide the plates on Bucky’s arm back into place. When he looks at me, I say, “Tony didn’t do it right.”

“Can I show you something?” He asks. When I reply an affirmative, he leads me to the gym room. “I want to teach you self-defense. I know you hate violence and are a pacifist, but if today ever happens again, I won’t have to I interfere and neither will Tony’s suit.

He walks over to a yoga mat and starts showing me what positions to be in. What he doesn’t know, I think with a grin, is that he taught me this about 10 years ago.

I sigh, flick my leg around his, and watch him crumble at the knees. In his class I should roll him over and sit on the small of his back while holding his arms down, but I don’t roll him over. Instead, I sit on his rock-hard abs and hold his arms down.

His eyes open wide with shock. “Wha-what just happened?”

“Are you gonna say uncle?”

“You already know how to do this!”

“Yea I was taught. I just haven’t used it in a while. You gonna say uncle?”

He relaxes on the ground. I leave go, and as quick as a wink he has me flipped, sitting up, back against the wall- his hands on my thighs. “Rule number one- never relax your hold until help comes.”

“Aye aye soldier,” I laugh.

He leans up and kisses me. Wow, it’s been a while since I did this. I clasp my hands around the back of his neck as his hands go into my hair. Suddenly, he pulls back, but his metal fingers are caught in my hair.

“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry!” He gasps.

I start dying laughing. Of course, when I, world’s most awkward person, would end a kiss with this. “For what? Come on, let’s get to a mirror so I can untangle us.”

We walk up the back steps and walk into the bathroom. Hopefully no one sees us cuz it’d be very hard to explain. I tilt my head in the mirror, trying to easily untangle my hair. It was stuck between mini plates so there was no easy way about it.

“Are you ticklish?” I ask.

“I don’t know.”

I start tickling his ribs, and jumps with an “Aah”. His face was so comical that I start laughing again.

“Stop! Stop!” He’s squirming and waving his arms now, trying to get me to stop, but I am merciless.

There’s a knock at the door. We freeze- his hand is almost out of my hair. “Everything ok in there?” Steve asks.

“Should you say it or me?” I whisper.

“I don’t know but one of us should!”

“You do! He heard you yelling stop.”

“Hello?” Steve calls through the door.

“Everything’s fine,” Bucky replies.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Is someone in there with you?”

We look at each other. By now, we hear a few other people gather- asking “what’ going on?”

“Crap.” I whisper. “We’re caught, and they’re all gonna think the wrong thing.”

“Oh well. We havta go out.” His hand is still in my hair. “We need someone to free you from my grasp.”

He opens the door, kind of dragging me behind him.

“How long has this been going on?” Sam asks, raising an eyebrow.

“What is ‘this’?” I retort.

“I don’t know- you tell me,” He smirks.

“I was…”

“He was showing me how to defend myself after the David incident,” I cut in. “Then I downed him, and he flipped me, then we kissed and his metallic fingers got stuck in my hair and we can’t seem to untangle them.”

Wanda takes us to her room and makes us sit on her bed, his hand still resting on my head.

“Am I a comfortable armrest?” I quip.

“Yea, and a good-looking one at that,” he smirks.

Wanda rolls her eyes, then uses her powers to gently unwind my hair from his fingers.

“Thank you, Wanda. You’re a darling.” I tell her, then turn to Bucky, “and you, you’re coming with me so I can fix your fingers.”

We go down to my workroom. I get my tools out to file down the edges so the plates will click in place.

“You know, you kind of remind me of a girl I once knew in Russia. I trained her in the Red Room. She became the most deadly female assassin anyone ever heard of.” His eyes lit up as he spoke of her. “I… had a… kind of... relationship with her until Hydra found out. They took me away from the Red Room, tortured me, and never let me train anyone ever again- until the other Winter Soldiers. And then one other time… I cant remember why… But I never knew what happened to her, my favorite trainee.”

“What was her name?”

“Natasha Romanov.”

I think, “Isn’t she here?” But before I say something, he goes, “We better head back up, or they’ll really think something’s up. Thank you for fixing my arm.”

“No problem.” I grin.

When we go back up, Natasha walks into the room. I watch to see how Bucky reacts. He looks up and almost faints in shock. “Natasha?” He whispers. “Is that you?”

She smiles at him. “My soldier.” She says in Russian.

He gets up and wraps his arms around her, and, speaking in Russian, asks, “How are you here? What did they do to you?”

“Let’s go into my room, and we’ll talk about it.” They walk out.

“What just happened there?” Someone inquires.

“He knows her from Russia, and they’re going to catch up.” I answer. I know I shouldn’t care, but I am scared that they will pick up their relationship. After all, I don’t have time for a relationship. Do I even like him? Deep inside, I know I do.

“Goodnight all. I’m going to bed.” I walk out of the living room, hearing a chorus of “Goodnight” behind me.   
Walking past Natasha’s room, I hear her say something about joining the Avengers. I get to my room, get a shower and wash my hair, then go bed. 


	20. Chapter 20

Little did I know that later that night, Steve, Tony, and T’Challa were having a private little powwow in the living room, discussing Bucky’s and my actions today.

“I don’t think it’s safe,” Steve states. “He could all of a sudden, you know, change modes and hurt her really bad.”

“I think she’d be able to take him,” Tony says. “And didn’t you say she knows a word that makes him shut down for a while?”

“Oh, she wouldn’t use that word. She’ll face him head-on and that scares me.”T’Challa puts in.

They hear a door squeak and turn to investigate. Bucky comes out of his room and makes his way towards mine. T’Challa moves as if to stop him, but Tony holds him back. “Let’s see what happens,” he whispers.

I wake up to someone knocking softly on my door. I get up and open the door, “yes?”

“Alana, it’s Bucky. Can you talk for a minute?”

“Sure. Let’s go to the living room.”

The three men quickly move to the kitchen.

I sit down on the sofa, curling my legs under me. He sits beside me, but turns his body to face me

“Alana, I was naming out loud the people who i- I, you know. And I realized that I killed your mother. You were the one who I took back…”

“I know- I knew it from the first time I met you here that you were he.”

“And you helped me? Why the heck would you do that?”

“Because I forgave you. And you need all the help you can get. Why shouldn’t I? You helped me in the Hydra facility. I don’t want to know what would have happened to me if you weren’t there.”

“You were the girl who said, ‘I forgive you’?”

“Yes.”

“You were the only one who ever said that to me the whole time I had ever done a mission for Hydra.” He looks at me weirdly. “So you have the serum in you? You were the one I stopped the process? I’m sorry- I remember mostly everything, but the time order is all mixed up.”

“Yes, and it was weird. After that day, my resolve has strengthened. If it’s something I feel strongly about, it’s very hard to sway me. Ask T’Challa- he knows. They have marveled on how stubborn I have been.”

“Hmm- I don’t know… Maybe you could ask Steve about that. The doctor explained the full workings of the serum to him. Can I lie down?” At my nod, he lays his head on my lap.

“I don’t know- Steve doesn’t seem to like me…” We sit in silence for a few minutes.

“I don’t know.” Bucky finally replies, “but you could always ask him.”

“Hmm,” I mumble. I am falling asleep.

T’Challa shows the other two men how to go around through the back.

Everyone comes out to the living room in the morning to see us asleep- Bucky’s head in my lap and my head tilted at an awkward angle with my fingers in his hair. They walk silently by as to not wake us.

I wake up with a sore neck, and I can’t feel my legs. I look down and see Bucky’s face looking peaceful- for once. I’m not even going to try to move. T’Challa walks in from the kitchen and mouths, “Are you ok?”

“Yea, I’m fine,” I whisper, “but can you go in my room and get my phone?”

When he brings it to me, I look at the time. 10:30AM!! I told someone I’d meet them to fix their oven now! I look up, panicked. “Did Navi come yet?” I ask T’Challa in a low voice.

“Yes, and Tony went with her. Said he wanted to see what you do.”

“Whew. As long as it got done.”

“So how did this happen?” T’Challa motions to the couch.

“He asked me to talk, and we fell asleep.”

“Just be careful.”

“I know. I am.”

My brother walks away. A few minutes later, Bucky wakes up. He looks at me and smiles, “Good morning.” Then it registers where he is and he sits up quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize… Why’d you wait? You could have woken me up.”

“You looked so peaceful, and I didn’t mind.”

He stands up and takes my arm to help me up, but I can’t move my legs. I fall over on the couch, laughing.

“I can’t feel my legs,” I gasp. He takes a leg and slowly straightens it out. I let out a series of a laughing “ow! Ow!” Then he does the same to my other leg, helps me stand up, and practically carries me to the kitchen.

“What’s the matter?” Orroro questions.

“My legs fell asleep,” I explain. “Can you make me an egg?”


	21. Chapter 21

I sit down next to Steve. “Good morning, Steve. I have a question for you. That super soldier serum that muscles you up, Bucky said that the German doctor explained to you the full effect of it. Does it like, umm, strengthen everything about you?”

“Look, I know you’re curious about stuff, but I don’t think the doctor would have liked much information divulged to the common people.” His tone is condescending.

“Well, darling, I apparently am not a common person. I have some of the serum inside of me. Not enough to make too much of a difference in appearance, but it has helped me in my line of work. I was telling Bucky that I had it and it made my resolve stronger- and he said to ask you about it.”

Steve looks at me suspiciously. “Your Highness, I don’t know why, but my gut tells me to not completely trust you. And in the past, when my gut told me something, it did me good to listen to it. I don’t know what your infatuation with Barnes is, and now you’re getting your way through to Tony. If you’re trying to break us apart, it already happened. We’re broken. Please don’t break us more. And since you know all of Barnes’ trigger words, I’m wondering if you’re planning on unleashing him at the right time. I’ve already lost him three times, I’d like to keep him around. He really trusts you, and I would like to also. Can you promise me for his sake, that you’re not waiting to use him for a full-scale apocalypse?”

“Wow. As offended as I am that you would question my motives, I can assure you that I would never try to control Barnes’ mind. He should always be in control of that. And if I am not Tony Stark’s daughter, it’s no fault of mine. I didn’t know my father until yesterday.”

“How?”

“My mother never told me- she just said I prolly wouldn’t wanna know him. Besides, I’m not here for his money or whatever. I just want to be able to help Tony. He’s definitely in a bad place mentally if he has to make a suit that comes to anyone with his DNA when they’re afraid. I’m not a psychiatrist, but I like helping people, even if all they need is to vent about their problems. And I think Tony has not vented in a long while. Now what did the doctor say about the serum?”

“He said that it heightens the personality of the person. For example, if the person was a bully, they would be constantly picking fights because they have the power, or if someone was a good person, the serum would push them to do good.”

“Ahh ok, so when my mother ingrained peace and forgiveness in my mind, the serum took it to the next level. So the serum strengthens you mentally as well as physically.”

“Apparently so. Since you like listening to people vent, can I vent to you and ask your opinion?”

“I don’t care, but you’ll havta vent while I’m working. Don’t worry- I will pay attention, but people are waiting for fixed machinery. Meet me at my workroom in a half-hour.”

“Okay.”

Bucky sits beside me after Steve gets up. “Well that looked like a heated conversation…”

“Yea well… I figured out about the serum. It also works mentally. So if you liked something, you now love it. If you always were mean, you are now 10x as mean. And so on.”

“Ahh… You going to your workroom?”

“After I get dressed. I havta meet Steve down there in a half hour.”

“Oh ok. Have fun!”

I raise my eyebrows and grin. Then go to my room to get dressed. I come out in a tank top and shorts with my hair piled in a bun on the top of my head. Tony stops me.

“So I can contact you when you want to come to America? I talked with Steve and if we can add a few things to the Accords, he’ll prolly sign. Wanda was going to sign no matter what. Says she realizes the importance of them now. Sam will do whatever Cap does, and Clint said he’d sign them- it’s like another SHEILD job, but he’s retired unless we really need his help. I have to negotiate with Ross, too, for this to happen.”

“What about Barnes?”

“I don’t know. They will probably put him on trial…”

“My gosh. I don’t care who it is. It’s obvious he had no control of his mind. When SHIELD and Hydra fell, no one heard anything from him for about 3 years. Then when Zemo bombed the UN, they flushed him out of hiding.”

“I know. From the stories my father told and what I’ve seen, I think he’s a good man. I will talk to Ross.”

“Thank you.”

I walk down to my workroom, where Steve Rogers is pacing around. He looks up when I walk in and goes, “Oh, hey.”

“I’m sorry. I was talking to Tony before he left.”

“He say anything about the Accords?”

“Yea he’s gonna talk to Secretary Ross for you guys.”

“Well I feel that we will have to suffer consequences.”

“Prolly. You have to be ready to be responsible for your actions- even if it’s what you believe is right. Nothing that risky is worth doing if you can’t explain why you did it.”

“Well I can. I don’t know about the others- they kinda just followed me. But I did it to protect Bucky because I know he shouldn’t be killed for his actions. I knew it wasn’t him. Then afterwards, I did it to protect the world from the other Winter Soldiers.”

“But why did you refuse the Accords in the first place? You could’ve asked to change some of it before you signed? I know my father would have agreed to a revision. I’m not blaming you, I’m asking you what you were thinking.”

“Because more than half of SHIELD was Hydra. So who knows if this committee could be corrupted? I don’t want to be sent somewhere that I don’t want to go. Do you think that they could amend it to say that if someone doesn’t want to go, they could sit out? Oh, and if 75% of the team thinks we should go somewhere, we are able to go?”

“I really don’t know, Steve, but that could always be an option.”

“Also, I can’t help but speak down to Tony. I know he was right and I shouldn’t be blaming him for any of it, but every time I talk to him, my voice comes out condescending. I miss having him around, and I’m realizing that he does not need us at all.”

“Do you know that he has major PTSD and probably anxiety attacks?”

“Tony? Why do you say that?”

“Why else would he ‘probably create Ultron, even if Wanda didn’t show him his worst fear? He builds so he doesn’t have to watch his nightmares over and over again. He creates safety devices (which would have included Ultron) so he doesn’t see his worst fear play out before him. Do you have another answer?”

“Well what about me? Don’t I get a normal life?”

“Yes, you could retire- like Clint did. You’re well over 65.”

“But then I’d see my worst fear come to life. I fear the time that I have nothing to fight for- I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

“Get a job. You’re strong, honest… People would probably love to hire you. Get a girlfriend, find a hobby. You would do fine.”

“I know, but I feel like it’s my duty to protect the world. I just wish I could balance it- like Tony.”

“Why don’t you try, then? Any girls in mind?”

“I don’t know- but I could always ask Natasha. She’s always trying to set me up.”

“Thanks. I guess I should try apologizing to Tony. I hope he forgives me. See ya.” He walks out of the room as Bucky walks in.

“Hey, Steve. Hey, Alana.” He grins.

“Well you’re extra chipper. What’s up with you?”

“Am I not always this happy?”

“So why are you happy?”

“It’s a beautiful day. I woke up this morning. Why can’t I be happy?”

I raise my eyebrows and continue working on a new motor. “Okay.”

“I also got to carry a beautiful girl to the breakfast table.”

“Oh that’s nice. Now did Natasha or Wanda enjoy feeling your freezing cold arm on them?”

“I don’t know if Natasha or Wanda had the chance to try it.”

“Then maybe you got girl and guy mixed up. Tony could be beautiful, or maybe Sam. I know for a fact Orroro wouldn’t let you carry her- she’d kill you herself.”

“Aaaahh- no offense but I know the difference between ‘girl and guy’. You don’t know any more beautiful girls that live here.”

“Nope.”

“I guess I was just dreaming it…”

I know for a fact that I am not beautiful. There’s nothing about me that stands out. I am a little bigger than I could be, I don’t dress to impress, and it doesn’t bother me. So if he’s saying I’m beautiful, he obviously has bad eyesight, or he needs a favor from me and is trying to sway me.

“What do you want, Sergeant Barnes?” I question.

“Did Tony talk to you about the Accords?”

“Yes, why?”

“I heard him talking about them to Steve, and I was just wondering what they’ll do with me. Not that I won’t comply- I just would like to know beforehand. I’d react better when they tell me.”

“Tony will have to talk to Secretary Ross about it, and then we will see what happens. We will keep you updated, though.”

“Thanks.” He takes my hand. “It’s very comforting that you are behind me with this. I feel almost safe.”

“Oh, just almost?” I tease, then get serious. “All kidding aside, though, you need to try to make sure you have as little Winter Soldier episodes as possible. They’re gonna base it off that.”

My phone rings. “Hello?”

It is Atalla. “Your Highness. We found Lahsa, and he asks for a private conversation with you.”

“Thank you Atalla. I will be over to the station as soon as possible.” I look over at Bucky, and say, “They caught David Lahsa. Want to go over to the station with me?”

“Sure. Why not?”

We get to the station, and Atalla meets us. She hands me a pice of paper. “Since this cannot be used for trial, Lahsa asked for you to sign this. He signed one, also.”

I read it over; it basically states that I am agreeing to not use any information said in this conversation as prrof of guilt at trial. I sign. “Take me to him.”

“We will be at the room here- watching but not being able to hear. Just sign if you need us to come in.” Atalla lets me in and takes Bucky with her.

“Well hello. Look who rushed over to see me.” David smirks.

“Oh honey, I did it just to see you,” I said sarcastically. I am recording this- I did not promise to not record.

“So why did you want to talk to me?”

“Look, Alana, I didn’t mean to push you in, and I apologize. But that man, he’s dangerous! He walked towards me with such hate and fury in his eyes, he would’ve killed me and then probably you! So I panicked and pushed you out of the way, which went over the side of the mine.”

“David. That was not sincere at all.”

“Well the part of me not meaning to push you over was. I wouldn’t try to kill royalty. I am loyal to Wakanda. But seriously what are you thinking? That guy? You wanna know why he sticks around? He wants his life back. That man is attractive- he could get any girl he wants as long as he controls his mind. He’s freeloading off of you. Once he can be on his own, bye bye!! He might even seem, I don’t know, a little embarassed to be even talking to you? Man, for as smart as you are, you can be very stupid in other matters. Wanna know why no man has asked you out? You might think, ‘well I am the princess and my brother probably scares them away’. That is only half-true. You aren’t pretty, you’re kinda big, and your personality ain’t that great either. Who wants a wife who will challenge you at every turn and won’t back down? And man, they will feel worthless if their wife can take care of everything without them. Honey, that gives them time to cheat.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” I quip.

“No, I as your acquaintance who keeps you honest, know the mind of a man- no matter how old they are. You’re gonna havta change to ever catch a man’s eye.”

“David, I am completely happy with myself. I haven’t lost a lick of sleep wondering why a don’t have a boyfriend. You wanna know why not? Cuz I don’t care. I wouldn’t want someone to have to put up with me anyways. So thank you oh so very much for the ‘why you have no boyfriend’ talk. I’ll come back if I need another pep-talk.” I smile at him and turn to walk out of the room.

“Alana. Don’t get jealous when he brings other girls in. He was a skirt-chaser when he actually was your age.”

“So you wanted a private conversation with me to tell me I would never have a boyfriend? I stopped work to hear that?”

“I also explained why I did what I did.”

“So you would have killed him?”

“Yes. The sooner he’s dead, the world becomes a much safer place.”

“You lay a hand on him- you will deal with me. I did not waste my last three months to see my work get buried 6 feet deep. You understand?” I am furious right now. I stalk out of the room.

Atalla rushes up. “Are you ok?”

“Yes. He’s just… incorrigible.” I clench my teeth. “Don’t give him any perks. He’s a prisoner- treat him like one.”

Bucky and I get in my truck to go home, but I turn down a road. I’m going for a drive to calm down. We go silently for a few minutes before Bucky says, “You ok?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I just can’t believe I left my work to go and do that!” I growl.

“Am I allowed to ask what he said?”

“Just a load of crap that doesn’t need repeated. I don’t even know why I had to sign the dumb paper.”

We drive for about a half hour until I calm down. Just about to the palace on the back road, my truck breaks down.

“Are you kidding me?” I yell. I don’t care what Bucky thinks- I am having a bad day.   
I hop out and open the hood. “Great. The belt snapped. I havta replace it. We havta walk the rest of the way back, and I’ll call a tow truck.”

“Want a ride?” He asks.

“Huh?”

“I’ll carry you on my back. You look like you need a rest.”

“Oh so now I look bad?”

“No, you look tired and upset.”

“Whatever. I’ll take a ride- if I’m not too heavy.”

“Oh please. You’ll be fine.”

I climb on his back, and he carries me back to the palace. The guards act like this is a normal occurrence and help me down.

“Thank you. My truck broke down about a half-mile up the road. Please send a tow truck to bring it back to me so I can have a look at it.”

“Yes Your Highness.”

“Thank you.”

When we get back inside, my brother is waiting. “Where were you guys?”

“They caught Lahsa, he wanted to talk to me ‘privately’ and told me a load of crap, so then we went for a drive because I was annoyed, and to top off the cake, my truck broke down so we had to walk the rest of the way back.”

“That truck is so old- you need to get a new one.”

“I know. But I love my truck.”

“Well I was going to tell you that they caught Lahsa, and also, there’s a UN meeting next week. I told the ambassador that I am going instead of him, and I would like you to accompany me.”

“You sure, brother? You want me there?”

“Yes, my lovely fiancée will help you pick out your wardrobe.” He winks at Orroro.

“Ok… Do you know if Tony will be there?”

“I think he’s trying to be able to.”

“Will I have to identify myself?”

“You have everything you need, right?”

“Yes. I believe so.”

My cell phone rings. It’s Tony.

“Hello?”

“Hey Alana. I just got back from meeting with Ross. He doesn’t want to make amends to the Accords, but I asked him if he really wanted Captain America and the Scarlet Witch working against him. I also got him to give me access to the UN so that means I’m going- Rhodes, too. He’s my escort. You going?”

“I think so.”

“I didn’t say anything about Barnes until Ross asked me. He wants Barnes dead, but we will have to talk about that in the UN meeting next week. Along with your ancestry.”

“Ok. So all that will be discussed at the meeting. All right. Send Pepper my love.”


	22. Chapter 22

At the UN meeting   
“Hello, King T’Challa,” Secretary Ross greets us. It’s weird… every time I see him, I think he reminds me of someone. “Your Highness.”

“Hello,” We take our seats.

In a few minutes, the meeting starts. I see Tony discussing something with Ross, who stiffens and points to Tony’s seat, as to tell him to sit down. He then walks to the podium to begin.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome. As most of you know, this meeting has to deal with the Sokovia Accords. Apparently Captain Rogers and his cronies may be willing to sign- if we make a few amendments. Mr. Stark, could you hand me that paper?”

Tony gets up and hands it to him. My shoulder is starting to hurt again.

“Thank you. This paper I have here states what they’d like to change. One amendment states, ‘If an inhanced being does not want to join the mission, they are not bound by the accords to do so, and if 75% of the team believes that a mission is worth fighting for, even if the board does not belive so, the team may go on that mission.’ They also would like Miss Maximoff to be able to go places as long as she does not use her powers for combat.” He rattles off a few more amendments, then stops at the last one and goes, “Well that’s not gonna happen. Ladies and gentlemen, they want Barnes to be acquitted- forgiven, allowed to go free. Even if the first amendments were to go through, would we even discuss this one? The man is a walking time bomb. And what about the families of the people he’s killed? What would happen when they hear he’s free to do as he pleases?”

Tony stands up. “Sit down!” Ross hisses at him. “You have no say here.”

“But I do,” T’Challa stands up. “I believe we should try to work with it. We are better off if they stood with us than if they stood against us. And I also have an amendment for the Accords. I propose that Secretary Ross stays away from the affairs of them.”

“King T’Challa,” a minister from England begins, “Secretary Ross is our trusted representative in this matter. Why would you want him to stay away?”

“Did he tell you about a – say underground prison in which he was keeping Captain Rogers and the others?” Rhodes asks.

“Stark! Tell your friend to sit down!”

“No, keep talking.” Another leader says. “What is this?”

“Secretary Ross has an underground prison in the Atlantic Ocean in which he kept the Avengers that did not obey the Accords. Poor Wanda was kept in a straitjacket so that she could not move at all. If she ever wants revenge, I’d hate to be you, Ross.”

“And telling the Special Forces to shoot Barnes on sight? I thought it was ‘innocent until proven guilty’ in America. Also, two days to decide if they will sign the Accords? What kind of lame joke are you trying to play?” I speak up.

“Who are you?” Someone asks.

“She is my adopted sister, princess Alana of Wakanda.”

“She is also Alana Anderson/Stark, the daughter of Sheila Anderson and Tony Stark.” Rhodes puts in. This sets the meeting in an uproar.

I look over at Tony. Ross is talking to him, his posture deameaning. I understood what Tony was doing. To help all those who probably would rather diss him, he is acting as Ross’s personal slave for the day, taking the blame for everything, and being shamed. Rhodes, I’m guessing was in on this, because he is taking full advantage of the situation to rat out Ross. I hope Tony is not forced down with Ross.

“Miss… Anderson.”

T’Challa’s nudge brings my attention back to the conversation at hand.

“Yes?” I look up.

“How can we be sure you are actually Alana Anderson?”

“I have the folder my mother mentioned in her will. She gave it to me as she was dying.” I pull it out of my purse. “Is that enough?”

“We will have to question you,” the German representative states.

“Sure, but can we first focus on the Accords?”

“No,” Ross looks up, with a glint in his eye. “I want to first know how your mother died.”

I glare at him. For some reason, he knows.

“Yes, we must get this mystery over with.”

People all around agree. Crap. I look at Tony, who mouths “I’m sorry.” I shake my head at him, with a look that is supposed to say, “It’s not your fault.”

“Ok- but I will keep it short and sweet. Everyone thinks she died of a heart attack. I’m not sure how she died, but I know she was having trouble breathing. She gave me the folder and tood me to find my father, which I never did untila few months ago. A man was in the house when she died. I have reason to believe he killed my mother and took me with him to a Hydra base. This man was the Winter Soldier. Hydra imprisoned me for about 3 months, trying to make me a fighter for them, but for some reason, the Winter Soldier kept them from me- he protected me as much as he could. One day they sent him on a mission and pumped the so called “super-soldier serum” in me, but not fully, because he came back and shut it down. Finally, when they saw that I wasn’t going to be able to help them, they tried to sell me. Thankfully, King T’Chakka, my adopted father, happened to be near the selling block and bought me. He then raised me as his daughter, freeing me from the debt I owe him and now can never repay.”

Ross smirks. “And you want to save Barnes, why? He killed your parent.”

“He also saved me from Hydra. So now I want to save him from you. If it wasn’t for Hydra in the beginning, he wouldn’t be the way he is.” I look out at the members of the UN. “I have a proposition. Barnes is already healing. You can see the change, but he’s not 100% better. Tony Stark, my father, has some technology that helped him with his problems, and he has agreed to lend it to Barnes. We will try to get all the crap Hydra put in his head out. I know that if he had the choice, he would not have done the terrible things he did. Are you willing to let us try?”

“As long as you let us question him.”

“Not as a hostile.”

“I second the motion.”

“All in favor, say ‘aye.’”

“Aye” resounded through the room. Finally! We were getting somewhere!

“Can we go over the Accords now?” T’Challa motions. “I would like to see all the Avengers together again.”

By the end of the meeting, they had sorted out the Accords and pardoned Steve and the ones who didn’t sign under the stipulation that they would sign. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight Stony innuendo

Tony- er Dad- is hosting a party at his house in New York for the return of the Avengers and the signing of the Accords. I finally get to meet Pepper. She’s great! I really like her. Since all of us were going, we convinced the Council to let Barnes come along- as long as he was with a chaperone all night. Of course, I volunteered to be a chaperone. He was fun and I liked being around him, and he is most comfortable with me.

Now at Stark Tower, he is fidgeting. “Alana, I don’t know if this is the best idea… So many people…”

“Bucky, hon, you’ll be fine. Just smile and think ‘I can do it’. And if someone tries to set you off and your companion doesn’t hear it, you just have to let them know. We will move to a differ location. I can also get your earplugs. I don’t know if that will work.”

I find it weird that Ross refused his invitation. He didn’t “agree with the celebration.” I always figured he’d do anything to be in the public eye.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
The party is a success. Everyone seems to be having fun. I am forced to talk to a lot of people, which may be the least fun thing of the night. Dad was leading me around, showing me things with Bucky trailing behind, eyes wide.

Now I can’t find my dad. He’s no longer around. I see Rhodey talking to an older military man. “Rhodey, have you seen Dad?”

“No Alana, he was with you right?”

“Yea but he left.”

“Ask Pepper. She might know.”

As I make my way over to her, I notice a light on upstairs. They were all off a half hour ago. I swivel around looking for someone to stay with Bucky. I see Natasha. She’ll do- he’d prolly enjoy himself, too.

“Come with me,” I motion to Bucky. “Stay with Natasha.”

“What? Why?”

“Something’s going on upstairs. I’m going to go check it out.”

“Let me come, too.”

“No they want eyes on you at all times. That way, if something does happen upstairs, you won’t be blamed for it.”

Natasha takes his arm. “Go. I’ll take him from here.”

“Thanks.” I find T’Challa. He and Orroro are talking to Pepper. “Come with me- I may need your help.”

Orroro nods, telling him to go. Pepper looks confused.

We go upstairs. “Stay in the shadows,” I whisper. “You’ll know if I need you.”

I creep towards the room- Cap’s room? The heck? I hear a man’s voice.

“…and this is how they’ll find you. Won’t it be a shock? It’ll ruin a little more than your and his relationship.” I look in. A man is standing with his back facing me, talking to someone on the bed. He throws back his head and laughs.

I step into the room, silently.

“Well, hello, Alana. Does it surprise you to see your father like this?”

I look with a start at Dad. He’s tied to the headboard, all made up, looking heavily drugged. At least he’s not naked. “What the heck?” I direct my question to the man.

“As you know, Captain America is an old man. He likes to turn in early… he will come up, tired of the party to this. How do you think he’ll react? With love? With anger? With shock and call the others? Any of these ways will work for me. Why? Because it creates chaos. It gives me such a high to see everyone in complete disarray.”

“Sir, you obviously have a problem,” I say. “But seriously? Why us? Have they not gone through enough?”

“Oh, I toy with whomever I want. You guys arent special.”

I turn to walk out.

“You walk out, I’ll make sure everyone sees him. Scandal of the century. Or did people suspect this of Stark already?” He smiles evilly. I stop. “Go sit on the floor beside him.” I comply. “Now, I’ll be going.” He walks out, only to be apprehended by T’Challa, who silently put him in a chokehold. I try to untie the knots around his wrists. It takes a while, but I do it. I take him to my room. Pepper should not see him like this- she’d think he got himself plastered. I heave him onto my bed and get my makeup remover- taking all the chemicals off his face- they were clogging his pores.

“Just sleep, Dad,” I kiss his forehead, “hopefully, you’ll feel better in the morning.”

T’Challa knocks on my door. “Is he ok?”

“Not really. He’s been drugged badly. I don’t know how he’ll be when he wakes up… Stay here- I’ll go down and wave everyone goodbye.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“In a guest room I guess.”

I go downstairs. Bucky walks up. “What happened?”

“Weird story- will tell you later,” I whisper. After everyone leaves, I gather everyone together.

“Guys, we have a… problem.”

“What’s wrong?” Rhodes asks.

“I found Dad. But he’s pretty bad. Someone drugged him and he’s out- colder than cold. He won’t make it to the meeting tomorrow.”

“Who was it? Where is he?” Steve asks, clenching his fists.

“T’Challa has the man upstairs. Dad is in my room- I’m taking a guest room.”

“Does Pepper know?” Natasha asks quietly.

“No, I didn’t tell her yet. I was just gonna ask Steve to take the guy to the police whth T’Challa. I’m going to tell Pepper, then get back to Dad.”

“I’m on it.” Steve runs up the stairs.

“Alana, have you seen Tony?” Pepper asks as I approach her.

“Yes, but I need you to sit down.”

“What happened? Is he hurt?” She sits down.

“Somebody drugged him and he’s unresponsive. Someone wants to keep him away from that meeting. I want to say he’ll be fine tomorrow, but I don’t know when he’ll wake up. It’s pretty bad.”

“Where is he? Who did this?”

“T’Challa and Steve are taking him to the police station. Dad is upstairs on my bed- the closest room. I don’t know if you should see him.” I tell her.

“You know I have to,” she has tears in her eyes.

“Why don’t you in the morning? I’ll take care of him tonight, and you, Happy, and Rhodey can help him tomorrow while I take his place in the meeting. Whoever did this is gonna regret it. Just go to bed and get some rest- you need it.”

She gives me a hug. “Thank you, Alana.”

I don’t get much sleep that night, constantly washing Dad’s head- as he seems to be profusely sweating. A muscle in his face moves- the only way I know he’s holding on, but it also means he’s struggling. I eventually fall asleep, kneeling next to the bed.

I wake up in an awkward position. My shoulder is killing me!! Why am I kneeling? Oh yea, Dad! I stand up, looking at him. He doesn’t look much different- with a grayish complexion. I notice the muscle is no longer moving so I check his pulse. Still alive. I sigh. When was his meeting? At 10:30… I still have 2-1/2 hours.

I get a shower and go down for breakfast. Everyone just seems to be in the kitchen, just waiting. They all look up when I come in. Steve stands and says, “Is he ok?”

“Still the same- not much change at all.”

“So what are we supposed to do? The meeting?” Pepper asks.

“I’m going and taking T’Challa and Barnes with me. Rhodes, Happy, and Pepper, please stay with Dad. It’s gonna be hard- he looks really bad…. But please, talk to him. Don’t yell at him; don’t whatever. Just talk- about anything. He might recover better if he hears voices he knows and loves. The rest of you… help out as much as you can. By the way, what about the so-called ‘agent of chaos’?”

“He is apprehended. I guess they’ll have to put him on trial.” Steve replies. “You sure you’re good to go to the meeting? You don’t look too good…”

He’s right. I feel terrible- my head hurts, my shoulder hurts, I am emotionally exhausted, and I just want to hole myself away for peace and quiet.

I smile, “Thanks for the concern Steve, but I’ll be alright.”


	24. Chapter 24

When we arrive at the meeting, I am told that Secretary Ross had to go home because of a family emergency, but he’d talk with us through speakerphone. We called him and his first words are, “Where’s Stark? I need to talk to him.” Bucky looks up and tilts his head.

“You are speaking to a Stark,” I say, “what is it you want?”

“Where’s Tony?” He asks.

“He couldn’t make it to the meeting…”

“See? What did I tell you?” He interrupts. “I told you all that Tony would never make it to the meeting after a party!! He’s probably plastered at some skank’s house…”

“Before you go on, Ross. Let me explain. He was assaulted at the party and is unable to come because he is unconscious. I am here to show the workings of his Retroframing system because I am the only other one qualified to show it.”

“Of course. My apologies.”

I set up a small version- showing how the system uses holograms to help you relive a moment. I explain how it will help Barnes because he now has the chance to say or do the things he wanted to at that time. The council thanks me for explaining and gives their approval.

On the way home, I ask Bucky about his reaction to Ross’s voice.

“I-I’m not sure. I just have heard it before. Maybe when I was at the UN thing before Zemo broke me out… I don’t know.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
It is two days before Dad wakes up out of his coma, and he feels terrible. His body is aching for more drugs, but we don’t let him take any medicine. He has to get through this without becoming addicted to something.

Pepper, Rhodey, Happy and I take turns watching over him. Peter even came once or twice when May would let him. When I wasn’t sitting with Dad, I was going through some of his stuff, looking for information on different robots. I did find something interesting. It was a flash drive with videos from his suit on every mission they did- from New York in 2012 until Siberia. I start watching them, with the main purpose of just seeing what it was like to be on a mission. I understand Dad’s mental problems now. I can imagine the feeling if falling through the wormhole. I see his worst fear of everyone dying and Steve, Steve, telling him he didn’t do enough. I see Ultron telling him how wrong he is, Vision telling him that Ultron hates him the most, and then finally, Steve saying, “You broke up the team” and “I’m sorry, Tony, but he’s my friend” and then“I can do this all day.” Through all of this feed, the one thing Dad did so many times was show Steve the respect he commanded from everyone. He even bent over backwards so that Steve wouldn’t get in trouble, and Steve turns on him- leaving him alone in freezing cold Siberia with a broken suit. He couldn’t even fly away!!!! I am getting mad.

“Hey, Alana…” Steve walks in my room. “How’s he doing?”

“As if you really care.” I snap.

“Huh?” He raises his eyebrows, looking surprised. “Alana, what do you mean? Of course I care about him.”

“Oh really? Cuz I just watched all of your missions together and you seem like you can’t wait to get rid of him. Seriously? ‘I can do this all day?’ I can’t believe you! He wasn’t gonna kill you! Yea, he may have killed Bucky if you hadn’t stepped in- he was freaking shown his parents’ death. I’m not saying he was right in doing so- but it should have been expected. He took the blame of all of your actions on himself. He snapped because of all the stress of the past couple months and then he realizes you, who hates it when your teammates don’t give you information. And you know what else? I didn’t hear Bucky apologize. He said he remembers all the victims, and I know it wasn’t his fault, but there you should apologize. And you know what he did for you to be pardoned? Ross made practically his slave- ‘humbling the proud Tony Stark’. He took all the crap from Ross- just so your pretty little butt could return unscathed. And you, you just come with no remorse, no nothing. How do you live with yourself, huh? You know what? I don’t care. Just leave my room please.”

“Alana…”

“Go.” I turn to see Dad struggling to sit up, eyes and mouth wide open. “Dad! Are you ok?”

His mouth moves but nothing comes out.

“Shhh. Just relax. Its ok- you’ll be ok. Shhh…” I place my hand on his forehead.

He lies back but motions for a drink. I fill a glass from the bathroom and help him drink. 


	25. Chapter 25

Outside my door, Bucky and Natasha catch Steve.

“You know, she’s right,” Steve says. “Tony has done a lot to keep us all safe.”

“Yea that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Nat retorts.

Steve puts his head in his hands. “I really messed up- I guess in my mind, I always thought I was right and anyone who opposed me was wrong. But that’s not agood enough excuse.”

Natasha wraps her arms around is shoulders. “It’ll be alright. Just apologize when you can and wait it out. Come on, let’s get you calmed down. Bucky, maybe you can talk to her?” She and Steve walk down the hallway.

He knocks on my door. “Alana?”

I sigh, “Yes, Bucky?”

“Are you ok?”

“No not really… You can come in…”

He walks in and stops when he sees Dad. “Tony! You’re awake!” He looks at me. “He ok?”

I shrug my shoulders helplessly. “I don’t know.”

Happy comes to take his shift and smiles when he sees Tony is awake. “Hello, Tony, welcome to the land of the living.”

“Please don’t let him talk- he keeps trying to and it’s draining him.”

“Ok,” Happy grins. “You hear that? No talking. Zilch. Don’t wanna hear a peep. You and I are gonna watch some Downton Abbey.”

Dad just kinda grins tiredly at him. When I see that he is compliant, Bucky and I leave.

When we get to the room I’ve been sleeping in, I tell him I’m getting some sleep.

“Alana, before you do, can I ask you a question? I couldn’t help hearing your conversation with Steve. Are you regretting helping me after…”

“No! I’m not. I just can’t fathom how this whole team- who basically lives off if my dad, can’t see how badly he’s going to waste! I mean- he’s always the one making the big sacrifice, the one making sure everyone has the tech and armor they need to stay safe, the one who’s taking responsibility for everything and paying fir damages. Yet the world still sees him as a proud, egotistical, selfish, irresponsible man- they, his closest friends, can’t see through the freakin façade he puts up.” I rub my shoulder.

Bucky gives me a hug. “I don’t really know what to say, but maybe they’ll see it now. Is your shoulder ok?”

“Yea, it’s just a habit of mine. You wanna get started on BARF?”

“Yea let’s go.”

I stop past Pepper’s office to let her know Dad is awake, then lead Bucky down to a room that was specially made for him. Made like a nuclear bunker, there would be no way he could break out of it. “What memory do you want to work on first?”

“I don’t know- should we start from the beginning?”

“Sure. Put on this helmet, and think of the first memory. It will pull it out and transfer it to holograms.”

I start recording as pictures of snow start showing up aroumd us, then soldiers coming up, looking around him. One grabs him by the collar and drags him. You see blood in the snow with each step the soldier takes. Then everything goes black and you here Zola say, “It’s ok- the procedure is already started.” You sit a little while in pitch black and complete silence til you see a metal arm and a human arm in front of you with doctors in lab coats all around you. Bucky’s arm reaches up and grabs a doctor by the throat and gets up, throwing the man against the wall. Another doctor sticks him with a sedative and he crumples. When he wakes up again, he is secured in the cryo, hearing Zola say, “you are going to be the fists of Hydra. Ice him up.”

The cryo gets freezing cold, and Bucky goes to sleep again. He wakes up in a chair, with a man looking at him. “Hello, asset. I am your handler. You must go through some training… uhhff.” Bucky had kicked him in the stomach. The man stands up and flips a switch. It sent electricity up Bucky’s arm, hurting the sensitive skin on his shoulder, making Bucky yell in pain. The handler kicked Bucky in the head and yells, “You will listen to me!”

Bucky in the present is just watching all these scenes play out in silence, but I see that it’s taking a toll on him. I write We can stop wherever you want on a slip of paper and slide it to him- I don’t want to startle him or anything. He glances down at it, and writes back I can still go for a little while. I nod.

The next at least 20 minutes shows Bucky resisting all of Hydra’s attempts and getting severely totured for it- until he just gave up. Seeing him hurt and weak and just with no will to carry on, they took the chance to wipe his brain again and program the trigger words in his brain. They did brain surgery and changed his brainwaves to react differently to those eleven words. I know that we’re not doing that unless there is no other way to fix it. Bucky is in the chair again- with his handler in front of him. He starts saying the words, and the Bucky in the present starts reacting. I can see all the life leaving his eyes and by the time the handler says gruzovoy vagon, he is in Winter Soldier mode. Crap. His memories disappear and he takes the helmet off.

I kind of panic so I don’t hear the order for the mission, but Bucky is walking towards the door. There is no way I’m letting him get out of here. I run in front of the door. “Bucky, no. I can’t let you.”

He looks at me with the deadest eyes and keeps walking towards me, saying “Move” in Russian.

“No,” I say in English. “Bucky, I am not moving, and you’re not going anywhere.”

He gets to me, picks me up, and throws me over a couple feet- gently, so I think he might still know me. He then proceeds to try to unlock the door. I touch his shoulder; he elbows me in the face. Ow. My nose is bleeding.

“All right that’s it,” I say. I hit him in the back of the knees and he crumples. I flip him and sit on the small of his back- like he showed me. He tries to get up by doing a push-up, and I know he will next time.

“Bucky, I know you’re in there and I’m not afraid of you. Come back to me,” I plead.

He gets up, picks me up and presses me against the wall. His eyes open wide and he goes, “Alana?” He sets me down gently.

“Oh gosh. What did I do to you? Your nose is bleeding and you’re limping. I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok. Let’s get you out of here.” I unlock the door and he helps me up to the kitchen, where Steve, Natasha, Wanda, and Orroro are sitting.

“Alana- there you are. Your brother’s been… what just happened?” Orroro’s eyes darken.

“Buck. What did you do?” Steve asks.

“We were trying out BARF- and we got to the point where they are using thee trugger words on him, and he’s still affected…” I explain. “So I had to stop him.”

“Did you use his knock-out word?” Natasha asks.

“No.”

  
“Why not?”

“Because he’ll never get better that way. Besides, it looks worse than it is. My nose isn’t broken, and my calf just cramped up.” I pat Bucky’s shoulder. “It’s all good. Who’s with Dad?”

“Pepper. She’s been in there a while.”

“Alright. I’ll get washed up then go check on them.”

I wash my face then walk up to my room, which Dad is in. Dad has his hand on Pepper’s stomach with a smile on his face. He looks peaceful for once. They both look up as I walk in with Bucky in tow.

“Oh Alana. Come to take over?” Pepper smiles, which fades quickly when she looks at my face. “What happened?”

“Long story-it was nothing.” I wave it away. “How is he?”

“He’s doing well, considering the circumstances. Tony, I love you, but me and the kids need a nap.” He grins up at her and waves his hand as if to tell her to go.

I stay up all night with Dad- always finding something to do to stay busy. He sleeps off and on, and I about jumped out of my skin when I heard him say my name.

“Alana.”

“Dad! Shh it’s ok. You’ll be ok.”

“I know I will. I’m making sure you will. Go get some sleep- don’t become an insomniac like me. It starts messing with your head…”

“I’m just staying with you…”

“Like you said, I’ll be ok,” He starts coughing. “How’s your shoulder? I just read the letter from your mom… She said all your life?”

“Yea but I’ve gotten used to it. It rarely ever bothers me.”

“Ok- alright- just… get some sleep.”

“Ok Dad.” I take a pillow from my bed and sleep on the floor. 


	26. Chapter 26

I wake up to a light knock on the door. It’s Peter.

“H-hey, Alana. Can I visit with Mr. Stark now? Before I got to get to school?”

“Sure. Let me get my stuff and get out of here.” I walk into the bathroom to brush my teeth and clean up.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter says, “I was talking with Aunt May and she- she’s still really pissed about me being the Spiderman, but I had to explain to her why I do it. And she- she realized that I wasn gonna stop- whether I had your suit or not. I think she knows that I will be safer with- with your suit and your help. An- and I know that now isn’t the best time to talk to you about this.”

“Peter, it’s ok. I’m glad you told me. I’ll work on more safety features. That, after all, is the most important part.”

“You- you’re talking! Are you supposed to be?”

“Well I havent talked in four days- I think I have the right to now. Oh and Peter? If you and May ever want to move in here, to get better relations with the team, let me know, and we’ll give you a wing.”

“Th-thank you, Mr. Stark! I don’t know how to…”

“Ahh please. No problem at all. Now get to school.”

“Thank you! See ya later!”

I walk out of the bathroom. “Well that was sweet of you.”

“Alana. I need real food, some clothes, and help out of this bed. Please help me.”

“Alright. But if I think you’re too weak for something, back to bed you go.”

I go to his room and get out a tshirt and sweatpants. I throw them at him and say “get dressed.”

In a few minutes, he and I are walking down the hallway to the kitchen.

“I want coffee,” he demands.

“No- the last thing you need is a chemical like caffeine racing through you. Drink some milk.” I make him French toast.

“Alana. I want you to know that I was awake when you were yelling at Steve…”

“He deserved it,” I bite out. “I’m tired of them all treating you like crap.”

“They mean well… It’s ok. I forgive them.”

“Yet they still take advantage of you all the time.”

He smiles at me sadly. “Because I let them.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because that’s the only reason they’ll stay with a messed up person like me.”

“Well then, they shouldn’t be staying…”

“Good morning.” Bucky yawns, interrupting us. How can he look so good even when he just woke up?

“Good morning,” I say.

“Oh, Tony! It’s good to see ya up, even if not… at ‘em. I’m sorry- that was insensitive. How you feeling?”

Tony smiles. “Nah it’s ok- made me smile. I’m doing pretty good- still weaker than a baby, but….”

“Well that’s good… I guess…” Bucky looks embarrassed. He turns to me. “Whatcha making?”

“French toast for Dad; eggs for me. Why? You want something?”

“French toast sounds amazing. But I can make my own…”

“Nah. Go sit up. Eggy or drier toast?”

“Eggy. What kind of monster eats drier French toast?”

“That’d be me…” Dad raises his hand.

“Man… I don’t know what to think anymore. Can you believe your Dad eats drier French toast?”

“Well you could be me and not eat any,” I fire back.

“Oohh. Now the tension builds,” Dad crows. “Am I that much of a monster anymore?”

“Not as horrible as she. I am deeply wounded,” Bucky dramatically puts his hand over his chest. “I thought I had a connection. What a traitor.”

“Alright. Well now I’m really considering burning this bread.”

They both stretch their arms out towards me. “Noooo.”

“What’s going on in here?” Sam walks in to see Bucky and Dad leaning over the counter, arms outstretched and me crossing my arms, nodding my head.

“Oh good morning Sam,” Dad says, unfazed.

“Good morning Tony. Good to see you acting like yourself. Some early morning dramatics?”

“Do you eat French toast?” Bucky asjs abruptly.

“Not if you do, old man.”

“Yea well, we always knew you were a loser.” Dad snickers.

I place toast in front of both Dad and Bucky. “Mmmm smells soo goooood.”

I roll my eyes and start making my omlette.

“You know, Alana, for someone who doesn’t like French toast, you sure know how to make it taste good.” Bucky is deliberately talking with food in his mouth.

“Manners. Manners.” Natasha walks in. “Where’s the coffee?”

“Uhh not made yet,” I reply. “Dad isn’t allowed to have it and I don’t drink coffee.”

“Well you couldn’t start it for the rest of us?” She smirks at me.

“I’m sorry- must’ve slipped my mind,” I retort. “I’m sure Dad would have if he was himself.”

“Well yea.. he would’ve- he’d be making sure he got first.”

“All right. All right. Enough.” Dad intervenes. “It doesn’t matter. Nat, you know where the coffee is. Alana, just let it go…”

I roll my eyes. I will this time, but it just annoys me. My egg is done, maybe even a little too done. I sigh in frustration and sit down at the counter.

“You ok?” Bucky looks at me.

“Just peachy.”

“She hasn’t been getting enough sleep,” Dad says. “We need her to have a relax day.”

“Alana, did you hear your father?” I hear T’Challa.

“Yes. Yes. No work today.” I groan. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Socialize. Watch a movie. I don’t know.”

“Alright. Who wants to watch old romance movies with me?”

Wanda raises her hand. “I will!”

“I mean like Pride and Prejudice , Jane Eyre, Emma, and ones like that.”

“I still will!” She grins.

“Ah, why not.” Sam concedes. He motions to Bucky. “Come on old man. Let’s catch you up on romance.”

Bucky rolls his eyes. “I was born in 1917, not 1400…” He gets up and follows us into the theater room.

“Hey guys,” Dad calls from the kitchen. “Wait for me!” Rhodey is helping him walk.

So here we are- Wanda, Sam, Bucky, Dad, Rhodey, Pepper, and Natasha- having a movie day. Fitting like 6 people on a couch, I am squished between Bucky and Wanda. Pride and Prejudice is first. Wanda and I profess our hate for Caroline Bingley, mimic Mrs. Bennet, roll our eyes at Mr. Whickam, and squeal when Mr. Darcy proposes again to Lizzie. After the movie is over, I yell, “Put in Jane Eyre!”

Bucky looks at me, “I take it you really like these movies. Any other kinds you really like?”

“I like some Disney, some action movies, and rom-coms. Now shh! It’s starting!!”

I notice Wanda looking at Bucky and me weirdly, but I choose not to comment.

Micheal Fassbender plays Mr. Rochester in this movie- so it’s hard to say that he’s as ugly as the book says. I mean Micheal Fassbender isn’t the best-looking guy, but he’s not ugly.

If you have never read the book Jane Eyre, this movie would confuse you- because it kind of tells the beginning of the story while the middle is happening. Therefore, the no one really got what was going on except Pepper, Wanda, and I. Pepper really likes this book/movie. I am always kind of disappointed that they don’t make Bertha as terrible-seeming as in the book. But then again, gore doesn’t bother me.

Then we get to Emma. When we first see the actress who plays Emma, Dad says “Hey, that looks like Pepper!”

Hmm… Gwenyth Paltrow does look like Pepper. 


	27. Chapter 27

_A few months have gone by. Pepper is now 9 months pregnant. Steve has apologized to Tony for everything- for telling him that he only fought for himself and that he wasn’t a hero, for always doubting him, for saying ‘I can do this all day’ and almost killing him from rage. Of course, Tony forgave him right away. Peter and Aunt May have come to live at the Avengers building. May had gotten fired from her job so Tony got her a job at Stark Industries with Pepper. The two of them became close friends. She will now fill in for Pepper as CEO with the help of Tony while Pepper is on maternity leave. Bucky has come a long way- but still triggers at the words, although he doesn’t go as full into Winter Soldier mode as times before. The UN board is going to hold him for questioning- to see if he is actually ok to go out into the world_.

“Tomorrow’s the big day,” I am in the BARF room with Tony and Bucky, going through small memory files to see if we missed anything. Most of these were small tidbits of times when Bucky woke up beofre Hydra realized. One caught my interest.

Bucky’s handler is talking to someone, saying “He is always ready, sir.”

A voice that I recognize says, “What about with the girl? His orders were to kill… And then you sent her away? Why? You should have locked her up until she gives in. I thought I could trust you with him…”

“Sgt. Raskeylav, I am the man he knows and trusts. You don’t want him to go crazy, right?”

“That is a weak final try. I will get Rumlow.” The man shoots Bucky’s handler through the head. I gasp as I recognize the face.

“That’s Ross!!”

“What’s Ross?” Dad asks.

“That!” I point to the screen. Ross has brought Rumlow in and was talking down to Bucky, saying “your new handler…”

“No wonder Ross wouldn’t be at any event Barnes was.” Dad deducts. “I smelt something fishy about that.”

“So…. Ross is with Hydra?”

“We believe so… Do you mind if we take that video with us?”

“I don’t care. I just want it to be over with.” Bucky replies.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“Alana, look at the newspaper.” I wake up to hear Dad saying this over the intercom.   
There’s paper sitting on my nightstand. The headlines blast “The Resignation of Secretary Ross”

“Oh my gosh. He had to find a way to get out of these hearings, and family emergency only works a couple times.”

“Well we’re still outing him.”

“You got that right.”

All of us- Dad, Bucky, Wanda, T’Challa, Orroro, Steve, Sam, Clint, Natasha, Vision, Rhodes, Peter, May (who must agree to Peter’s joining), Scott, and I- are leaving to go to the UN meeting. Pepper and Happy wave us good-bye. “Be back soon!”

“Oh you know I will honey,” Dad says. “Don’t have those babies without me!”

At the meeting we are escorted to the United States section. The meeting starts- the council going over several minor world problems until they get to Sokovia Accords. They turn to us.

“The Avengers are here to sign the revised Accords. But first, we have a few matters to attend. Alana Anderson-Stark.”

I stand up.

“Do you have proof that you are in fact who you claim to be?”

“I have the folder my mom left with my birth certificate, my ID from 2007, and DNA test results.” I give the file to the speaker.

After passing it around, the UN agrees I am the missing Alana Anderson-Stark.

“James Buchanan Barnes.”

Bucky stands up.

“We will question you. Public or private?”

“I have nothing to hide; therefore, public.”

They cross-examine him to see if he can remember things from Hydra. Thankfully, with BARF technology, he can answer all truthfully. Then comes the question.

“When was your last so-called Winter Soldier episode?”

“It was… last week because we are still working to get the trigger words out of my head.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. As I am not being brainwashed between each mission-per say- anymore, I remember who I am and everyone around me. I just don’t have the power to do what I want. At my request, when they work with me, I am kept in a nuclear bunker. This way, if anything ever happens, I am not ruining others’ lives or property.”

“Does it bother you that you cannot control yourself at all times?”

“Of course. Think about it from your own shoes. Would you want anyone who knows how to control you whenever they want?”

“If you do go uncontrollable, is there any way to stop you of which you know?”

“Yes. One of them,” He nods to us, “I will not tell you who, knows a word that shuts me down. I black out at the saying of the word.”

“Very well. We must ask our psychiatrist here, Dr. Sheiler, if you are ok to go free.”

Dr. Sheiler is a short man who looks to be about 45. He stands up. “Hello, Mr. Barnes, it is nice to meet you.”

Bucky shakes his hand. “Hello.”

“From what I’ve heard, unless, of course, you had someone speaking in your ear, you are good to go. You seem to know how to handle yourself, but please, do keep working with the trigger words.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Welcome to the world, Mr. Barnes.” Dad says. “Council, we have a problem that must be addressed with you- concerning ex-Secretary Ross.”

“What is it?”

Dad clicks a button, making a screen. “While accessing Barnes’ memories through BARF, my lovely daughter found this.” He shows the video.

“So you’re saying that Ross was a part of Hydra?”

“He still might be- do you know where he is?”

“No.”

“I looked him up- he has gone off the grid.”

After discussing what to do about Ross, the Workd Security Council votes to leave him be unless something happens. They then begin the signing ceremony, calling out names until Peter and I are the only ones left. Orroro has already declined, saying she was never even thinking about joining an Avengers mission. When they get to me, I decline because I will never fight for things with violence. I may use words and persuasion, but never force. Peter signs with May signing her agreement. They may get flack for a 16yr old joining, but they have made it clear that he will not be thrown into the middle of things until he’s old enough to decide for himself. I’m proud of them all.

On the way home, Bucky sighs, “Well I’m glad that’s over.”

“You did well.” Steve tells him. 


	28. Chapter 28

After escaping paparazzi, we arrive home to Happy having a yelling match with a girl who looked to be about 21-22.

Happy is yelling, “Calm down! I can’t understand you!!”

The girl is yelling in Russian. “Where is he? The newspapers say he is with you!! I need to talk to him!”

“Stay in here.” I tell Bucky- I assume that’s who she’s looking for.

I get out and walk over to her. “Excuse me.” I say in Russian. “Can I help you?”

She looks at me and screams, cowering. Then she reaches out and touches my arm. “You’re real? Are you going to hurt me?”

My brow furrows. “No I won’t hurt you. Who are you looking for?”

“A man with a metal arm.”

“For what reason?”

“I also was a tool of Hydra, and I see in the paper that he is healing. I don’t know him; only heard of him in Hydra as the asset. I would also like to heal.”

I look back in the car, knowing that Bucky and Natasha heard every word. Natasha shrugs as if to say that she has no idea if the girl is telling the truth. Bucky frowns, but gives me an “I don’t know” look.

“How about you come inside and we’ll all talk about it. Do you know English?”

“Yes. Pretty… well,” She replies in English.

“Ok let’s go inside.” As everyone gets out, I notice Bucky has put his gloves on so no one would be able to see his arm was metal.

Dad stops me and asks. “What is going   
on?”

“Will explain in there. Everyone to conference room!”

With everyone sitting around the table in the conference room, I stand up. “Ok everyone, this is…” I look at her.

“Bindy…”

“Bindy. She has told me that she was a tool of Hydra, just like the Winter Soldier. She cane looking for him, because just like him, she needs healing from all Hydra has put in her. Am I correct?”

Bindy nods. “May I… talk?” At my nod, she continues, “Hydra used me for a more delicate role. I was known as Jezebel, the Seductress. They would make me find ways to convince men to either work for Hydra or whatever else they could use me for…”

“You have an interesting name, Bindy. Could I ask if it’s short for anything?” Dad leans forward.

“No… that is my real name.”

“Ahh. Very nice. Never heard it before.” He shrugs.

“Do you not believe me?”

“Don’t mind him, Bindy, it’s just one of his quirks. He likes to dwell on small, almost irrelevant details. I don’t think he meant anything from it.” Steve smiles at her.

“Ok…” She eyes Dad.

“So anyways…” I start. “You’re here because you would like to normalize your life again? What kinds of problems do you have from dealing with Hydra.”

“Well, I have ended up having a certain disgust for most men, and I have… nightmares and visions.”

“That would be called PTSD, I believe.” Vision speaks up. “There are people here who suffer through it.”

Bindy raises her eyebrow. “What is that?”

“He’s an android. With human likeness and emotions- well I think, anyway.” I reply. “So you think coming here will help?”

“Well I know that the asset was more messed up than I was- am. So I figured that if he could find healing here, the people could help me, too.”

“Ok, Bindy. We will have to discuss this. Could you stay in the foyer with Happy?” Dad asks. Happy escorts her out.

“So what do you guys think?” He asks.

“She’s obviously a troubled woman- I think we should help her.” Steve speaks up.

“I’m not saying I don’t believe her, but doesn’t it seem a little too… made up?” Dad asks.

“Well I wouldn’t put it past Hydra to make someone do that,” Bucky says, “and she would be quite efficient in that line of work.” I tilt my head in assent. Bindy is like a Barbie doll.

“She did speak fluent Russian,” Natasha points out. “I don’t think she would have been able to if she wasn’t trained.”

“All right. All right. I was wrong- just wanted to know everyone’s opinion.” Dad raised his hands in surrender.

“So would I be helping her the same way I help Bucky?” I ask. “Who’s helping her here? How do we get rid of nightmares?”

“Do you not want to help either?” Natasha asks.

“I want to help- I’m just not sure how…”

“So we’re helping her.” Steve clarifies.

“Yes, and given her past, if anyone,” Bucky looks around the room warningly, “ogles her, you will answer to me.”

All the men nod. “We understand.” Sam retorts. “What do you think we are?”

“Was just saying.”

“Alrighty then.” Dad says. “Let’s go tell her.”

Bindy squeals with delight when she hears that we will help her. She gives everyone hugs, but she hesitates before she hugs me. Does she think I don’t like her?

Dad leaves us to find Pepper, and I take Bindy to an extra room. I put her across from me so if she ever needs help, I’m there.

“Thank you.” She says. “I’m sorry for just forcing my way in here- I just really…”

“It’s ok. Hopefully, you’ll find what you need.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Alana sings to Amara in this chapter is called “Set Apart this Dream” by Flyleaf. The frontwoman of this band wrote it for when she was abused as a little girl, but I always thought the words were cute.

I wake up the next morning to a text from Dad. “Pepper’s in labor.”

“FRIDAY. Is Dad freaking out?”

“No, actually, he’s doing pretty well. He’s calm on the outside, at least,” Wanda walks in. “He asked me to tell you that he’s going to the hospital and to ask that you’d hold down the fort. He’ll update you.”

“Ok. How’s Bindy holding up?”

“Oh. She’s doing just fine,” Wanda tilts her head towards the door. “For as much as she is disgusted with men, she sure likes to flirt.”

“Oh? Where is she?”

“In the living room, flirting with every man who will look at her.”

  
I get dressed and walk into the living room.

“Well, look who decided to get up.” Sam grins.

“Shut up. What’d you guys have for breakfast.”

Bucky snorts. “French toast.”

“Oh, lovely. Guess I’m having cereal.” I walk to the kitchen. Steve is in there, cleaning the dishes with May.

“Good morning, Alana. I’m guessing you don’t want French toast? Bucky assured me that you wouldn’t.” May is grinning from ear to ear.

“No I don’t. I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?” I ask, and Steve turns bright red.

“Oh no. You need food.” May assures me. “What do you want?”

“ M just gonna have cereal.” I get the Wheaties out and make my bowl of cereal.

Steve sits down next to me. “So I guess you know about Pepper?”

“Yea I’m ‘holding down the fort.’ How has Bindy been?”

“She’s been flirting, and I think she has every single one of those guys wrapped around her finger. She is obviously good at what she did. I think that will be her first lesson- stop with the seduction.”

“Well one of the guys better say that or it’ll look like the girls are jealous. So if you wanna… or…”

May sits beside Steve, who wraps his arm around her. “Steve can, but the guys might not like it.”

“Bucky will convince them- I’m sure of it.”  
Steve says. He walks into the living room. “Hey guys, time for the gym?”

“Yea sure!” Bucky gets up right away.

“Oh alright. Fine.” Sam grumbles.

Wanda, Natasha, and I talk with Bindy for a while about how she feels she will deal with her problems. Then suddenly, my phone rings. It’s Dad.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Alana. We got ‘em- a boy and a girl…” He sounds upset.

“But?”

“Pepper’s not doing so good, honey. And I cant do anything about it.”

“What hospital are you at?” When he gives me the name and address, I say, “Stay there.”

I call an Iron Man suit to me and fly to the hospital. When I land, I get out and send it back to the facility.

Dad sees me ans immediately falls into my arms. “They won’t let me in to see her! I’m helpless and she’s gonna die! I thought I could protect her, but it’s just my luck for her to die while giving birth. Why does every good thing in my life come with a price?”

I hug him. “Pepper’s strong, Dad. She’ll pull through it.”

“But what if she doesn’t?”

“Then you take your new son and daughter and raise them the way she would, talk about her a lot, and never hate them for her death.”

“You know I wouldn’t.”

“I know. Don’t even think about it- she’ll be fine. Are the babies in there with her?”

“Yes. They’re healthy and don’t have to go to the ICU so they’re in there.”

I get up and open the door. “Excuse me ma’am, but you’re not allowed…”

I place my finger on my lips. “I just want to see my little siblings.”

“I can’t allow you to…”

“Please? I will be quiet and out of everyone’s way.”

Sighing, she points to the cribs where the babies are crying. “Awww…. Whatsa matter?” I ask in hushed tone. I pick the girl up, and holding her close to me, rock her. The nurse does the same with the little boy.

Suddenly, the doctor that was working on Pepper stops and straightens. “Alright. That’s the best we can do.”

He walks out to Dad, I’m guessing and asks. “You can go in. We just need you to stay calm.”

As they come back into the room, the doctor says “She’s alive, but she needs a lot if healing and as minimal stress possible. We’re keeping her here until we feel she is able to go home.”

“Oh thank God.” Dad sinks into a chair. “Can I see her?”

“Yes, she is sleeping. Please do not talk as it could disturb her.”  
“Of course.” He smiles sadly and walks over to the bed.

I hear the doctor mumble, “You’d think that as a billionaire, you could already have given her a stress-free environment and avoided this.”

Dad looks up, “Excuse me?”

“Not everyone is your servant, you know.”

By the look on Dad’s face, I knew I had to step in.

“Excuse me? Do you know anything about his life?”

“What are you? His side chick? How did you get in here?”

“I’m his daughter. And I came in to look after my little brother and sister. And who are you to judge a person?”

The doctor looks at me, then starts. I’ve seen you before- when I was younger. Where did you go to school?”

I stare at him wordlessly, then go “Middlesburg High.”

“Class of?”

“Well I would have been ’09…”

“But you got kidnapped. Alana Anderson?”

“Uhhhh yeaa…”

“Oh my gosh. Wow. It’s been what, like 10years? You know, I used to have a crush on you, but I never knew how to approach you. Most of them didn’t like you, but I think they were afraid of you. That’s why they left you alone…” He’s rambling now.

I raise my hand. “Ok. Alright. Dr. Franklin?” Reading his name tag, “As much as I’d love to reminisce about high school, there is a much more serious matter on hand. Ms. Potts. And apologize to my dad.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, I shouldn’t have assumed things. And Ms. Potts again needs rest in a stress-free environment.”

“We can assure you that once she gets home, she will be kept in a stress-free environment until she is healed fully. What about the babies?”

“I believe it would be wise to keep them here with their mother until we say otherwise.”

“Ok thank you. Dad, here, hold your daughter.” I hand her off as I take my little brother from the nurse, who nods and leaves the room.

“Did you have names picked out?”

“Yea. Pepper really liked Grayson for a boy’s name and I like Amara for a girl’s name. So I think that’s what we agreed on. I don’t even remember anymore.” Dad looks exhausted.

“Why don’t you go home, and I’ll spend the night here? You or Happy can come relieve me in the morning or whenever. Just go home and go to bed. I’ll call Steve or May and ask them to tell the others.”

Dad protests, but realizes that it’s probably for the best so he leaves. I call Steve, who answers immediately. “Alana? Is everything ok?”

“Hey Steve, thankfully, it will be. The babies are healthy, but Pepper needs a lot of healing. They’re keeping the three of them here until Pepper is ok to be moved. Dad’s on his way home now. He has orders to go straight to bed. Please make sure he does so, and that no one stops him to talk.   
I’m staying here tonight. How’s Bindy?”

“She’s doing fine- still haven’t talked to her about the flirting. Ok I’ll tell them. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Alright see ya.” I then call T’Challa, who’s back in Wakanda, and tell him about Pepper and the babies. He offers his condolences and talks for a little bit with me. When Amara starts crying, I tell him I have to go.

I pick her up out of her crib and rock her, singing “Close your eyes, little girl. You’re a princess now; you own this world. Twirling in your twirly dress, you’re the loveliest, far above the rest. You build your castles in the sky- the stars reflecting off your eyes. Angrls sing on silver clouds, and no one cries, screams, or shouts. Ohh set apart this dream. Set apart this dream for me. Set apart this dream- for me.” When she falls back asleep, I lay her back down.

I spend most of the night sitting in the chair beside Pepper’s bed, nodding off from time to time. Then I’d get up and stretch my legs, then sit back down. I woke up to my phone ringing at 5:30 AM. It’s Wanda.

“Good morning,” She says. “Did I wake you?”

“Yea, but it’s fine. I would’ve woken up soon anyways. What’s up?”

“Well it’s Bindy. She had a nightmare last night and she told us that she sees you in her nightmares. So in her words, she’d ‘rather that Miss Alana wasn’t around- it’d prolly help.’ So we’re all kinda stumped on what to do- you kinda helped us all. Oh, and she like clings to Bucky- as if he’s her only hope.”

“Is he ok with it?”

“I don’t really know. At first, he looked a little lost. But then I guess he doesn’t mind- I mean, what man would- with her?”

“Well then, I’d prolly leave it. If he complains, then that’s where you’d say something.”

“Alright. How’s Pepper?”

“Stable, but needs healing.”

“Ok. Well, I guess I’ll talk to you later…”

“Yup. See ya.”

Grayson starts crying. I pick him up and feed him a bottle. He seems a little more content than Amara, who’s been a little fussbuget. Dr. Franklin comes in to check on Pepper while I’m still holding Grayson. He confirms that Pepper is still stable and leaves.

 


	30. Chapter 30

Around 8:00, Dad and Happy come in. Amara starts crying, and Dad gets her out of her crib.

“Who’s fussing?” He asks. At the sound of his voice, she stops.

  
“Oh she likes you,” Happy grins. “Wait til she’s a teenager.”

Dad smiles, then turns to me. “Thank you, Alana. Now go home and sleep. I’ll stay here until tomorrow morning. Tell May and Rhodey if they want to visit to come tomorrow or Friday. I don’t know who else would want to, but if anyone else asks…”

“All right. I’ll see you later.” I walk out and call Wanda, asking if she’ll pick me up. She said that she was in the middle of something, but Natasha would.

Nat pulls up, and as I’m getting in, asks, “How’s Tony taking all of it?”

“He seems pretty calm about it, but I think it’s killing him that he couldn’t do anything to help her.”

“Yea, that’s what I thought.” We ride in silence the rest of the way home.

Walking in the door, I am met with a big hug from Steve, who asks, “How are   
they?”

“All doing pretty well, considering the circumstances.”

“The babies healthy?” This comes from Clint, who had happened to stop by for a visit.

“Yes, thankfully. Good to see ya, Clint.”

I walk into the kitchen, looking for food when I hear a scream. Bindy has fallen to the floor in the kitchen, cowering. I stop, remembering what Wanda told me. She scoots backwards against Bucky, who’s making eggs. He turns and sees me, then tells her, “Bindy, she’s real. She’s not gonna hurt you.”

Bindy slowly stands up. “I’m sorry- you just look like… her.”

“Her? Bindy, could we talk about this?” I ask. “Can you tell me who this girl is and why she’s so terrifying?”

“I… guess. Winter, could you come sit with us?”

Winter?

“Yea, one sec, your egg’s just about done.” Bucky flips an omlette onto a plate and turns off the stove. He looks at me and I mouth “Winter?” He just shrugs and gives Bindy the plate.

  
We sit at the table, Bucky and Bindy on one side, I on the other.

“So… my nightmares. One of the men I ‘seduced’ had a wife- well many of them did, just this one in particular- who was very ummm… protective? When she found out that he had cheated on her, she blamed me fully. She thought I had drugged him and so on to get him to sleep with me because he ‘loved her too much.’ Honestly, he was one of the easiest ones. So anyways, she came after me, almost killing me once or twice and hurt me badly. I still have a scar from her,” she shivers. “She looked like you, Miss Alana, so I see her anytime I see you. They killed her after she hurt me, so it’s like I am seeing a ghost.”

“Oh ok. So you’d rather I wasn’t around when you’re trying to get over it? Wouldn’t it be better if I was here? You’d get used to me…”

“Come to think of it, it might be better, but right now I’m just tired of seeing her. I’m sorry- that sounds ungrateful. I just….”

“No it’s ok- I know what you mean. I’ll… try to stay out of your hair.” As I’m walking out of the room, I hear Bucky say, “Excuse me for a sec.”

“Alana!” He calls after me. I stop and turn. “Alana, you ok?”

“Yea I’m just tired.”

“Oh yea, how are Pepper and the kids? I saw Tony this morning- he didn’t look too good.”

“They’re doing as well as they can. Yea Dad’s beating himself up over something he had no control over.”

“You sure you don’t need anything? I don’t know why, but she” Nodding to the kitchen, “seems to need me with her at like all times.”

“Yea, Wanda told me. I told her as long as you’re ok with it…”

“I mean, I’m ok with it, I guess…” Why were things so awkward with him now?

“Alright. Well… I guess…” I motion towards the living room.

“Right. Well, I’ll see ya later.” He goes back in the kitchen. I hear Bindy say, “Winter! Where were you?”

I walk into the living room, where Sam, Steve, Wanda, Vision, and Natasha are sitting. Sam is grumbling to Steve, “She has him wrapped around her finger….”

“What, you jealous?” I smirk.

“Alana!” Wanda jumps up. “Yea he’s been complaining all day. Under the pretext that he wants to spend time with Bucky. Come sit down!”

I sit beside her, forgetting that I need sleep and food and probably a shower. I pull my phone out, seeing that I have a text from Happy. It’s picture of Dad holding Grayson and Amara- one on each arm. I smile, which Wanda sees.

“Can I see?” She asks. I show her and she lets out an “awwwww.” Then everyone asks to see, which results in a lot of “aww’s.”

“What are their names?” Steve asks.

“I don’t know if they’re set, but right now they’re Grayson and Amara.”

“Cute names.” Muses Nat.

“So, speaking of Bindy, she said she’d rather I didn’t help her recovery, so it’s up to you guys.”

“More like up to Bucky,” Sam mutters.

I ignore him and ask, “How bad was she when she woke up from the nightmare?”

“She was pretty shook up,” Steve says. “But thankfully she calmed down quickly. All she said was that she saw you.”

“Yea I look like one of the wives of one of the men she seduced.”

“Ahh… Well she latched onto Bucky and hasn’t let go since,” Wanda rolled her eyes. “Not to be whatever, but I think that’s a little excessive.”

“Well maybe he can be comforting,” Vision puts in, “especially if he can relate to her life.”

“All right,” I clap. “Who wants to watch a movie?”

We decide on watching Central Intelligence, the spy comedy with the Rock and Kevin Hart. Having already seen it twice, I barely pay attention. I’m scrolling through Pinterest on my phone when I look up to Wanda looking at me.

“You ok,” she asks quietly.

“Yea I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“Come with me,” we excuse ourselves and walk to her room.

“Well the whole thing with your dad and Pepper, and with Bucky.”

“Well yea the thing with Pepper can be emotionally draining, but why wouldn’t I be ok with Bucky?”

“Oh…. I thought you liked him… you know, romantically?”

“Nah.” I lie. “I don’t care.”

“Ok- cuz I don’t know, but I’d say she wants him like that.”

“Well as long as he’s ok with it, and they keep their relationship details private, if you know what I mean, I couldn’t care less.”

Wanda shrugs, but I can tell she isnt happy about hearing this.

  
Little did I know that Bucky had been walking past when he heard his name and heard the whole conversation. He dejectedly walked to his room. Bindy comes in a few minutes later.

“Hey,” she whispers, laying her hand on his shoulder, “what’s the matter?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Winter. I know you’re lying.” She sits on his lap. “C’mon. Tell me.”

“Bindy, I’m sorry, but please, can you leave?”

Her face falls. “Sure.”

A few minutes later, she confronts me in my room. “Miss Alana, what did you do to Winter?”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s sulking on his bed. Do you know he feels like you just order him around- you slave driver? But you saved him so he’s indebted.”

I look at her, shocked. “I would never hold that againat him! He knows that- I’ve told him countless times.”

“You’re lying!” She screams. “You’re lying!”

“No I’m not.”

She slaps me across the face, then trues ti again but I catch her arm.

“Help!” She screams.

Steve, Bucky, and Wanda arrive in a flash.

“What’s going on?” Asks Steve.

“She’s attacking me,” Bindy whines.

“Umm… no I’m not- you attacked me.”  
I am tired and just want to go to sleep.

“No offense, Bindy, but Alana wouldn’t just attack you…”

“Well I confronted her about Winter…”

“Why?” He asks.

“Cuz when you’re upset, it’s usually because of her.”

His eyes darken, then he walks out.

“Listen. I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bindy. All I know is you hit me after accusing me of something I know nothing about, and I was just parrying your thrust. Now if you’ll excuse me….” I walk out of my room. I stop, “Steve, you know if May’s home yet?”

“Should be in a few minutes.”

“Okie doke.”

I walk down towards Dad’s lab, but along the way I see Bucky in the gym- totally demolishing a punching bag. I go in.

“Hey Bucky.” Chilly blue eyes stare at me. He doesn’t respond- he turns away.

I touch his arm, “Bucky? Was Bindy telling the truth? Am I the cause of most of your anger and bad days?”

He pushes me against the wall holds me by the throat. I can see he’s fighting for control of his mind. I relax.

“Bucky- I am way too exhausted to do something about it. Either kill me or release me- either way do it quickly.”

He holds me for a few more seconds, then his eyes widen and he releases me. I fall straight to the ground.

“Alana!” He gasps. “Are you ok?”

“Hmm” I am slowly blacking out as I hear him curse and pick me up, taking me upstairs.

“Help. I don’t know what happened to her!” Bucky sounds scared. Steve and Wanda follow him to my room where he lays me down on my bed.

Wanda puts her hand on my forehead. “She’s acting like she was drugged- that with her lack of sleep and food, it’s bad.”

“Drugged?” Steve asks in disbelief. “Who would do that?”

“Drink water at hospital….” I mumble.

“That could be…” Bucky muses. “She does have the serum- her body could have been fighting it until it was weakened by the lack of energy…”

I wake up the next morning at 6am, feeling crappy. I’m gonna go relieve Dad- he needs sleep. After showering and getting dressed, I go into the kitchen where Steve and May are talking. I yawn, letting them know I’m here.

Steve looks up, “Alana! Good morning. You going to the hospital today?”

“Yea. Dad’s gonna need sleep. When he comes back, make sure he does so. I’ll be leaving in a few…”

“Not until you eat- let me make you an egg.”

“Sure. Thanks.” I turn to May. “Hey by the way, Dad said today or Friday would work best for you to visit if you were going to. Can you let the others know? I already told Rhodey.”

“Sure. Thanks Alana.”

Steve piles an omelette on my plate. “How many eggs did you use?” I ask suspiciously.

“Four. You need food.”

“Ketchup please.”

I eat, brush my teeth, and get ready to leave when Bucky enters the kitchen. “You leaving?”

“Yea, but when I get back, you and I are gonna have a talk.”

“Yes ma’am.” He puts his head down.

“See you guys.”


	31. Chapter 31

When I arrive at Pepper’s room in the hospital, I see Dad desperately trying to stay awake. Happy walks up, “I don’t think he slept at all. He’s trying to stay strong, but…”

“I’ll talk to him.” I walk over to Dad and touch his shoulder. He jumps and turns, his hand over his chest.

“Alana! You startled me!”

“Dad. Go home. Go to bed. Get some sleep. I can take care of things here.”

“I don’t want to leave her. What if she…”

“It’ll be fine. Now go.”

I sit there all day, talking to Orroro on the phone, holding Amara and Grayson, or talking to Pepper. May and Steve stop for a visit. They assure me that Dad is resting. Rhodey then comes past for a few minutes. Wanda and Natasha come to visit me and to hold the babies. Soon it’s night and I’m the only awake person in the room. I barely sleep that night- I just can’t get comfortable. So as I sit there, dark thoughts enter my head. Things like self-pity- “why would I ever think that Bucky might like me? David was right- I was just his lifeline for a few months. And the one thought that kept coming back was how selfish I am. I could have notified authorities immediately after Father brought me back to Wakanda. I could have been there for Dad during some of the worst days of his life. I could have helped Pepper- she probably wouldn’t be in the state she is now.

“Pepper, I’m sorry. I should have figured out who my father was immediately. I should have been there the whole time. He deserves it. He’s been thru so much and so have you- look at you. And I. I was just living the dream life as princess of Wakanda, not doing my family duty. I should have been here to help share the burden.” I put my head in my hands, then look up to see Pepper’s open. She motions for her phone. I give it to her, and she starts typing.

“Don’t beat yourself up. How would the king have felt?” It reads.

“I know. But its just so stupid… why cant things turn out ok?”

“They will- we’re all still here right? Can u show me my babies?”

I pick both kids up- one on each arm. “Here they are- Dad said Grayson and Amara, is that what you were thinking?”

She nods, smiling. Little did we know that Dad had been standing, watching us, and had heard from “to help share the burden” to the end of our conversation. He then turns and walks out to the waiting room and sits down.

“Whats wrong Tony?” Happy asks.

“Pepper’s awake and they’re having girl time…”

“You’re her fiance, you should be able to interrupt.”

“Ok,” he clears his throat and walks back to the room, knocks on the wall, and walks in. Our faces light up when we see him.

Pepper whispers arpund the tube something that sounds like, “you’re here.”

“Yea... Pepper, you’re gonna be ok. Its good to have you back.”

Dr. Franklin comes in. “Oh you’re awake!” Turning to us, “Could you step out for a minute? I want to check on her.”

We go to step out but Pepper motions she wants Dad to stay. I step out and Happy asks, “What’s going on?”

“Pepper’s awake and the doctors gonna say whether she can go home yet.”

A few minutes later Dad walks out, smiling. “We’re all going home.”

We had checked out and gotten Pepper home within the span of an hour. Dad stays with her while she naps so I take Amara and Grayson down to meet the “Avengers”. I had called ahead to put the heat on so that I could carry them through the house.

Everyone gathered around to see the new babies – the babies being passed around. Well, Grayson was passed around. Amara would cry if anyone else but me held her; Grayson just snuggled into whoever held him at the time. I could see he was going to be a family favorite. Wanda was holding Grayson as I left the room to get myself a drink. I turn ans run straight into Bucky.

“Ohmigosh! Sorry!” I stutter as he steadies me.

“Careful. You don’t want to hurt her,” he nods at Amara.

“No, no I don’t. Dad would kill me.”

“Can… can I see her?”

“If she’ll let you. She hasn’t liked anyone in there,” I tilt my head back towards the living room, “so far…. I guess she’ll warm up.” I place her in the crook of his right arm.

She looks up at him and snuggles into him. “Wow. She must like the serial killer type.” He jokes. “Ya might wanna watch her when she grows up.”

“Haha yea,” I laugh. “Won’t that be something?” I walk into the kitchen, with him following.

“Oh Winter!” Bindy comes in after us. “Oh, is that Tony’s baby? What’s her name?”

“Amara,” I reply.

“Ooh can I hold her?” Bucky lets her take Amara, who in turn scrunches her face up and lets out a wail. I walk over and take Amara into my arms.

“Shh. Shh. Let’s get ya something to eat. Maybe you’ll be a little more sociable when you’re done.” I heat up a bottle that the nurse gave me.

“Can I feed her?” Bucky asks.

“Uhh sure – as long as you know how.”

“I should- unless they feed babies differently from the 1920s and 30s.”

He gives Amara the bottle as she snuggles down contentedly. Wanda comes in the kitchen with Grayson. “Oh good, here you are. He’s hungry.”

I heat a bottle as the rest of the team makes their way into the kitchen. Sam sees Bucky holding Amara and goes, “Oh come on! How does she like him and not us?”

“Maybe I’m just a likable person, Wilson. Did that ever cross your mind?” Bucky smirks.

Sam snorts, but is interrupted in the middle of his comment by Dad walking in.

“Hey Tony,” Steve says. “Hows Pepper?”

“Resting. She’ll be fine, just a little weak. Where are my children?”

Wanda hands Grayson to him, and they point to Bucky, who is still holding Amara. Dad raises his eyebrow then glances at me. I shrug, slightly, so as to not draw any attention to it. “Well here they are. Hey little guy…” He cooes at Grayson. 


	32. Chapter 32

The times I was not watching the babies or sitting with Pepper, I was helping Bucky. He finally has been cured of his trigger words. It’s all psychology, really. They say what you see in your head is your reality. If you’re brain convinces you that you have a stain on your shirt, you will see a stain even if there is not a single speck on your shirt. Hydra convinced Bucky through torture and brainwashing that he would always be triggered by these words. Therefore, Bucky had to convince himself that these triggers would no longer work. Well today, for the first time, he was successful. The joy in his face was worth all the hard work I had put into it.

“I- I did it? I didn’t react!! Thank you, Alana! You cant imagine how free I feel!!” He envelopes me in a tight hug until I hit his back, signaling that I can’t breathe.

“It was nothing, Bucky. I’m just happy I was able to help.”

“I’m gonna go tell the others.” He runs upstairs to the meeting room.

My phone rings. It’s T’Challa. “Hello, brother. How are you?”

“Tala! Its good to hear your voice! We miss you here in Wakanda. Speaking of, I called to see when you’re visiting next?”

“Pretty soon. I’ll talk it over with Dad and get back to ya.”

“Great! I’ll talk to you soon. How are Ms. Potts and the children?”

“Pepper’s back to full strength, and the babies are doing very well.”

“Ok good. Goodbye.”

“Cya.”

Man I miss Wakanda. Walking upstairs, I hear everyone congratulating Bucky. I go around through the kitchen up to Dad’s lab.   
I type in the code and walk in.

“Dad?”

“Alana? I’m over here.” He’s under one of his cars. He slides out and sits up. “What’s up?”

“I want to talk to you about vacation. T’Challa just called me and asked about my going to Wakanda. I’m planning on going within a week or two. Do you guys wanna come?”

“Why? So you can keep an eye on me? Make sure I don’t hurt myself?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You know, you don’t have to live or stay with me because I’m your biological father. I don’t want to be a burden to you.”

“Who said you were a burden?”

“You basically did! You said that you should have been here long before now so you could help Pepper shoulder the task of dealing with me.”

“No that’s not what….”

Dad cuts me off. “Just go- take whoever wants to go. Pepper and I are staying here.”

“Dad…”

He shooes me away and slides back under the car, turning on Welcome to the Jungle and blocking me out. I sigh and leave the room.

He thinks that I think he’s a burden? No! I feel guilty that I was not there for him like all family should be!! For once in my life, I am angry at my mom for raising me the way she did.

I go into the living room and ask, “Hey guys, anyone interested in going to Wakanda?”

“When and why?” Natasha asks.

“I’m leaving next week and staying for a little while. T’Challa has extended the invitation to whomever would like to go.”

Most people told me, “I’ll let you know.”

I notice Wanda looking at me worriedly. Rhodey, too.

“Hey, Alana, you ok?” Rhodes asks me quietly.

“Yea, perfect, why?”

“You don’t look ‘perfect’.”

“Well could be a lot of things, but seriously, I’m good. Thanks for checking tho”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
We are leaving for Wakanda today. Wanda, Steve, and I are going- everyone else is fine with staying at home. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying, but I’ve decided to stay longer than I first expected.

T’Challa and Orroro are waiting for us when we arrive. They envelope me in a hug, and T’Challa asks, “you ok?”

“Yea. I’m good.” He doesn’t believe me, but he doesn’t push it.

“Well, let’s get you settled.”


	33. Chapter 33

The first week of staying in Wakanda is great. I live like the way I did before the Avengers came into my life. But one night, when forced to go to bed, I couldn’t sleep and I realized that Dad and I havent talked in over a week. I count the hours and I think he should be up. Pressing his contact on my screen, I wait for him to pick up. It goes to his voicemail. So I call FRIDAY.

“Fri, is Dad available?”

“Mr. Stark is unavailable at this moment.”

I groan in frustration and call Rhodey. “Hey Rhodes, how are you?”

“Hey Alana, shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

“You know I can’t- insomniac. How’s everyone doing?”

“Pretty good. No problems. How are you?”

“Definitely more relaxed. Probably warmer than you.”

“Hah. Shut up. How are the Wakandans?”

“Mostly same as usual. Ya know, same ol’ same ol’.”

“Ahhh. Well, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna go. They’re watching the Princess Bride.”

“Aw man! Without me? Ok cya.” I end the call. Rhodes would tell me if there’s something wrong with the way Dad’s acting, right? Is he unaffected by it?  
  
After tossing and turning for another half hour or so, I fall asleep.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
I am woken up the next morning to Steve banging on my bedroom door. “Alana, you gotta see this!!”

He shows me a video on his phone. It’s a man, talking.

“Hello to the world. How are you? This is a serious announcement. Hydra has again risen. We will overcome. We have now surrounded the small country of Wakanda. King T’Challa, you must agree to sign over all vibranium that your country has and will have. If you do this, you will stay on the throne. If you do not, we will attack and take over the country. You have two days, T’Challa. Two days.”

“Nope. They can’t do that. And knowing Hydra, they probably are ready for the whole Wakandan army to charge out. That’d be a slaughterfest. Where’s T’Challa?” I grab my phone and call him.

“Alana? You saw the video?”

“Yes. Do not move to retaliate. They will be ready.”

“So you believe them?”

“Yes. What reason would they have to lie? We’ll figure it out, ok? Just let me get ready. I’ll be down in five.”

Steve lets himself out, and I get dressed, and run to the throne room. There T’Challa is sitting with his army generals around him. Orroro is standing behind him, rubbing his back. He looks up when I walk in. “Alana. Here she is.”

“So what do we do?” Asks Atalla. “We can’t just sit here and wait for them to attack.”

“Move everyone to major cities. Create a fortress around each one. Close down the mines. We will try to repay everyone’s lost property after this is over.”

“So you say we give up?” One of the other generals asks me.

“No. We play defense. What’s the point of attacking them? They are figuring on us doing that. Why else would they send us the video?”

“I believe my sister is right. We will fortify our cities, feed the people, and fend off the enemy. Get everyone to the major cities. If they will not move, let them know that they are unprotected if attacked. King’s orders.”

They all bow and move to execute his commands. T’Challa looks at me wearily. “I don’t know what to do. Why do they all of a sudden need vibranium?”

“I have no idea, but they seem intent on getting it. I wish I could do more to help, but I don’t know. Other than call…”

“I don’t want to disturb them. If it so happens, we will call.”

“We should at least let the committee know. That way they will be ready if we do need them.”

“I will call them immediately.”

As he leaves, Orroro looks at me. “Are you ok?”

“Yea I’m fine. Why?”

“Cause I know you. Something’s wrong.”

“Well yea, we’re being held under siege.”

“Something else.”

I shrug. I don’t feel like talking about it.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
One day passes- the council allows the Avengers to help if Wakanda needs them. I know T’Challa doesn’t want to inconvenience them, especially if we don’t know what we’re up against. I also know that my family here is keeping a close eye on me. They think I might do something stupid.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
New York  
“Yes. Thank you. We will be ready for the call.” Dad hangs up.

“What’s going on?” Sam asks. They had all seen the video.

“T’Challa will call if they need help. Stupid pride.” Dad is frantic.

“Tony, calm down.” Natasha admonishes. “Why are you so upset about this?”

“Did you happen to think that my daughter is there? You know, the one who I have only known for like a year? She left while we were still mad at each other. What if I don’t see her again?”

“You guys were mad at each other?” Rhodes asks.

“Yes. She was telling Pepper that she should have been here for me, helping Pepper shoulder the burden. I got mad and told her she didn’t have to stay to take care of me. That I could take care of myself. Then she left- maybe she’s staying there. I don’t know. But I’d like to make things right with her.”

“Anthony Edward Stark!” Pepper marches into the room. “Are you talking about when we at the hospital? That is not what she was saying at all! She was saying that she regrets not reading the stuff from her mother right away so that she could have found you sooner. You went through so much and she thinks it was her duty as family to be there to help you through it. To ‘share the burden.’ She never once thought you were a burden. It killed her that you had to go through it alone.”

“Why the heck would she feel that way?”

“Because she loves you, and she wants you to be happy. Why else?”

Dad just stands there, looking upset. “We have to help them. Why won’t T’Challa just call us?” His phone rings. “Hey Steve.”

“Tony. I’m calling about the Wakanda situation. I’m to call you again if they need help. No one really knows how big of a threat Hydra is, and we’re kind of waiting for them to make their move. But I will update you.”

“Thanks Steve. Hey is Alana there? I want to talk to her.”

“Uhh she’s not with me at the moment, but hold on, I’ll check around. They think she’s in her lab.” He walks down the my workshop where music is blaring, but finda it empty. There’s a big note on the desk. “She’s not in her lab, but here’s a note. Here, it says, ‘T’Challa, Hydra’s threat is real. They are waiting until tomorrow to strike, so I am going to do what they expect me to do- what is “expected of a Stark”. I’m turning myself in to them- I’ll be the white flag. And don’t follow me please- it’ll only end in death. You have your kingdom to take care of- don’t waste it on me. Don’t ask the others to help either, ok? It’ll just be a waste, not to mention bery few care. Dad is mad at me right now- I’m not even sure if he wants me around. David was right- Bucky only liked me for the help I gave. I don’t fault him- I am a hard person to deal with, but I fell for him. Nat hates me for some reason. Rhodey only likes me because Dad did. The rest of you seem to tolerate me. If I die, so be it. Please just let me go.’ Tony, that doesn’t sound good.”

“Oh really? Cuz I think it sounds fantastic.”

“Tony,” Pepper admonishes. “Not helping.”

“Pepper. Call Alana. I want to talk to her…”


	34. Chapter 34

Wakanda  
I ditch my truck near the border. My phone rings. It’s Pepper. They probably just found my note. It figures. Dad didn’t want to call me- Pepper did because it’s the right thing to do. I decline the call and turn my phone on silent. “I’m done trying” I think to myself as I rub my shoulder. A few minutes later I am surounded by soldiers, guns drawn.

“Hello, I am the princess of Wakanda, Alana Anderson-Stark, and I’m here to talk to your leader.”

“What is it you have to say?” The soldier ‘in charge’ asks.

“I am here to negotiate.”

A vehicle pulls out from behind a cluster of bushes and stops in front of me. A man steps out. “I am the leader. What have you to say?”

“If I let you take me, will you stand down from Wakanda?”

He laughs. “Ms. Anderson-Stark. You do know that we were planning on you doing this? Instead of catching us off guard, you fell right into our little plan.”

“Oh I knew very well that you knew I was going to do this. That is why I did it. Now take me to your secret lair and get away from Wakanda.”

“You are willing to give yourself to us for saving Wakanda?”

“Yes.”

He smirks. “Oh the head of Hydra is going to be do happy. Call the guards away. We are to leave.”

  
I wake up in a strange room strapped to a board. My shoulder feels like it is on fire.

“Welcome to your new home,” someone says. They move in my line of vision- it’s Ross.

“Thanks. Looks cozy.” I retort.

“Well now that you’re back to being yourself, we can get started.” A metal helmet moves over my head. I recognize it as the brainwasher they used on Bucky. Once it settles, Ross gives me a rubber thing to bite on and flips a switch.

“Mrnnghhh!” Oh it hurts!! It feels like someone is slicing my brain with a machete. It takes all that I am to keep my mind focused on the fact that I wasn’t going to let myself be brainwashed.

After a minute, Ross stops and asks, “What is your name?”

“Alana Anderson-Stark, princess of Wakanda”

He flips the switch again, then asks me the same question, to which I give the same answer. This goes on for about 20minutes until he groans and removes the helmet from my head. My head is ringing, and I can barely see, but on the positive side, I still have control of my mind.

Ross, talking to himself, mumbles, “How did that go wrong?”

“Think about it,” I say. “I am the daughter of a genius and an activist. That means I am smart and stubborn. You’re never gonna be able to take over my mind. I won’t let you- my brain is too strong. You should have thought about that before you put the super soldier serum in me.”

“Well, then I sure can cause you physical pain- even though you heal quickly. That makes it better actually, because now you can be tortured every day of your life and you won’t die because you heal quickly.” He smiles evilly. “Let’s get started.”

Ross calls in a few henchmen and tells them what they can’t do to me- this includes removing teeth, eyeballs, or any vital organ (anything that would cause permanent damage) and any sexual abuse. I am thankful for that, but I can’t understand why. He then tells me, “When you want to be done with the torture and want to start working for Hydra, let me know.” Then he walks out the door.

For the rest of the day I am poked, cut, burned, and who knows what else. Any pain I have had in my shoulder- no matter how bad- felt like a tickle compared to this. By the night, when they left, I had lost my voice and was dry of tears. They drizzled water in my mouth and pumped food into me, then walked out of the room and locked the door.

  
I wake up the next morning, and Ross was correct. My body was conpletely healed!!- but the pain was still there. I felt all the cuts and burns that I received yesterday, but they were no longer visible. Now they can start again.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Wakanda  
“She did what?!? We have to find her!!” T’Challa is beside himself. “Gather up the…”

“T’Challa, honey, stop. Breathe. Think. You know they will be ready for you. They’ll kill you, and then who will rule your kingdom? Call the Avengers and they can go. They’ve busted Hydra facilities before. I know it is hard to do, but you must think of everyone.” Orroro explains. “I love your sister, too, but you can’t…”

“Call in Captain Rogers. I need to talk to him.”

Steve walks in. “Steve, will the Avengers be against helping?”

“I don’t think so. To my knowledge, they all love her. I can call…”

Atalla lets herself in. “Pardon, Your Majesty, but I believe you must see this.”

On the screen is another video from Hydra:

“People of Wakanda, you are safe. Although it was not part of the bargain, we will except this truce. King T’Challa, can I ask, though, is all the vibranium in your mines worth the life of your sister? People of Wakanda, take a look at your Savior!!” The video pans to me after my torture session.

“Holy crap.” Steve says. “I am so sorry, T’Challa, I will call Tony right away…”

Orroro massages T’Challa’s back while he puts his face in his hands. “How can I sit back and let them do that?”

“You aren’t. You’re recruiting the most powerful group of people in the world. That’s better than going by yourself.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
New York  
“That’s my daughter!!!”

“Relax. We’re gonna save her- let’s see if we can track the video.” Natasha soothes. Almost too easily, the location of the video shows up on the screen.

Bucky rushes in, “Did you guys see the new video?”

“Yes we have the location.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Bucky is almost as frenzied as Dad is.

“Wait. That was too easy. They want us to go… We havta keep our guard up.” Rhodes points out.

“You will not want to go…” Bindy walks in

“Why’s that?” Dad looks at her.

“They will be ready for you, and you won’t be able to take what they have in store for you…”

“What are you talking about? How do you know?”

“Because my father is a part of Hydra, and he made me do this to you. To somehow break you all apart even more. Hydra has been watching you all for a long time – since the fall of SHIELD. When he saw that Alana was basically the only thing holding you all together until trust was rebuilt, he sent me to take her out. I’m sorry…”

Bucky picked her up by the collar of her shirt. “How. Dare. You. I outta-“

“Put her down. We can use her,” Clint puts in.

“How?”

“She obviously knows enough about the place Alana’s at. Peter and I will keep her here and she will lead you through the base. If she does not, she will face the consequences..”

“I will do this for you, but I strongly advise you not to go.”

Tony’s phone rings. “Hello? Yes we saw the video. Ok, good, now I don’t have to break any rules. Thank you.”

When everyone looks at him for explanation, he replies, “T’Challa has asked for our help. He wants to go, but his country has convinced him to stay because we can do it. We’re meeting Steve and Wanda in Wakanda. Get your gear.”

He hooks up his helmet to a laptop for Clint to keep. “Just talk to us, ok?” Clint asks. “We’re gonna need to know what’s going on.”

“Sure thing.”

When the Avengers reach Wakanda, they are escorted inside.

“So what’s the plan?” Steve asks.

“We have their location, but we’ll basically be sitting ducks once we get there. Aaand we don’t have Thor or Banner to bully their way through.” Dad lays out.

“I’m going in first,” Bucky states calmly.

“No, that’s not a good idea,” Bindy whispers. “They want their soldier back.”

“Hydra wants you back.” Tony looks at Bucky.

“I know. And I’m going to make them think they have him if I can. They’ll most likely try to trigger me and I’ll react, but I won’t really be triggered.”

“You’ve only done it once,” Sam worries.

“Oh well now I have a reason to not be triggered. And it’ll work. I’m just not sure how long it’ll take them to realize I’m actually not under their influence. That’s when I’ll need backup.

“Nat and Scott, we’ll need you to find a way to get in unseen. When you get in, work on finding Alana. Get her out. Rhodes, you might want to sit this one out. Sam and Vision, be our firepower. Wanda, just keep them safe. Use force fields or whatever. Steve, you and I are going to be Bucky’s backup. Bucky, I’m gonna hide a bug on you so I can hear everything. Don’t worry, Hydra won’t be able to find it. Compliments of Alana. Does that sound good?”

“No.” This comes from Rhodes. “There is no way on Earth that I’m staying here. I’ll help Wilson and Vision.”

“Rhodey…”

“I’m going.”


	35. Chapter 35

Inside the Hydra base  
“Miss Anderson-Stark,” Ross’s snide voice fills the room. “Just want to let you know that we expect your friends soon. And we’ve got great events for them too.”

“They won’t come,” I reply.

“Why not?”

“Because I told them not to. Because the only one who even really cares is my brother, and he knows what will happen to the country if he dies. His duties call him.”

“What about you dear old daddy and boyfriend?”

“My dad doesn’t want me around, and I don’t have a boyfriend. The others couldn’t care less if I was there or not.” This, to me, is all true. David was right. I am no longer needed so I am no longer wanted.

“Well you must surely be wrong, or I will be very angry. In fact, how about I show you what I have in store.”  
  
For the rest of the day, I go through the individual tortures of each Avenger. Dang these people knew what they were doing. They knew how to break everyone.

I hear Ross’s voice again. “And once we have captured all of the Avengers, we will show you your ultimate torture.” He laughs and tells my tormentors to continue.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
The next day  
“Alright. It’s time to move out. Clint, can you hear me?”

“We gotcha Tony.”

Following the tracker, Bucky arrives at the Hydra base. Anyone who saw him would think that he had never recovered from his years as the Winter Soldier. He stalks into the threshold. Immediately there are three guns on him.

“Mission report,” Bucky mutters. “Mission report.”

“Soldat?” One gunman asks.

Bucky’s head perks up.

“Take him to Raskeylav.” Three men, still with guns drawn, lead him through the building to Ross. Bucky’s quick eyes scan the halls.

“Sgt Raskeylav, we have retrieved the Asset!” A henchman calls.

Ross opens his office, “Bring him in.”

Bucky is forced to sit down and is chained to a seat. “Mission report.” Ross requests.

In Russian, his reply is “Mission complete. Two males- a man and a boy. New York, Avengers tower. Bodies dumped in river.”

“So the archer and the spider-boy are gone? Let me check…” he looks at a screen, which is black. “Why can’t I see?”

“Shot out camera…. Was the mission. Destroy all evidence.”

“Who gave you this mission?”

“I… Don’t know…”

The men confer among themselves. “Do you think this is an act?”

“If it is, he’s a great actor. He was never able to hide things before…”

Ross gets up out of his chair. “Take him to his room and wipe him. Then use his torture, and we’ll see then whether he’s the Asset or just pretending.”

Bucky internally steels himself to make sure he does not get “wiped,” which he does difficultly. But he says the next thing he was forced into doing was the worst. They played a video of my being tortured, and he had to watch it with a blank face.

“Do you know who this is, Asset?”

Bucky shakes his head.

“It is the fate of anyone who tries to cross Hydra.” When Bucky still doesn’t react, Ross sighs. “Chain him to the bed.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“Sgt Raskeylav, we have retrieved the Asset!!!”

I start crying. I don’t know whether he is acting or actually was triggered, but either way, this isn’t good. A few minutes later, I hear his screams. Great they’re wiping his memory. Tears are flowing down my face, and I can’t wipe them away.

Ross appears in the threshold. “Judging by your face, I’d guess that you heard about your darling Bucky. Now I’m not sure if he is acting or not, but I tell you, we are ready for any other visitors. Good night. I hope you have fun tomorrow.” He smiles evilly.   
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“Do you think we should go in?” Steve asks Tony. “That didn’t sound good.”

“No, we wait. Ross sounds like he believes Barnes. Pretty soon. Barton?”

“Yes Tony?”

“Where is Barnes now?”

“He’s in the back of the building on the third floor. Highly guarded. Alana is a floor below him. It will be very hard to get them out unscathed.” Bindy replies.

“Thank you.”

All of a sudden, through Bucky’s bug, they hear me screaming, “No! No! Don’t touch them!! I’ll take it. Do it to me!! Don’t…”   
Then a cry of pain, then silence.

“That’s my daughter! I gotta…”

“Tony. There’s nothing we can do until we have a gameplan and an ok from Bucky.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Today, Ross makes Bucky watch me, broken and bleeding, tell Ross that no one will come for me, listing the reasons why.

“What do you think, Asset?”

“Why must I watch these? Who is she?”

“Do you feel bad for her?”

Bucky stares at the wall. “I… don’t know…”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“You know, I hate to say this, but I’m not even sure he’s Bucky anymore,” Dad muses. “He’s pretty convincing.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
The Next Day  
Ross enters Bucky’s room.   
“Longing (zhelaniye), Rusted (rzhavyy), Seventeen (semnadtsat'), Daybreak (rassvet), Furnace (Pech), Nine (Devyat'),  
Benign (dobroserdechnyy), Homecoming (vozvrashcheniye na rodinu), One (odin), Freight Car (gruzovoy vagon). Soldat?”

“Ready to comply” comes from Bucky.

“I have a small mission for you. No killing, only maiming. Shot to the knee. One floor below, one room over. Report back when done.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“That’s Miss Alana’s room,” breathes Bindy.

“Get ready to strike,” Dad says. “Lang, you in?”

“Yes, Widow is too.”

“Move towards the back of the building.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“Bucky!” I cry when he walks in the door. “What are you doing h…” I stop when he looks at me, his eyes as dead as my mother. He lifts his gun and aims at my knee.

“Go ahead. Do it.” I reply tiredly.

He winks at me and shoots the board right beside my knee. He then, with his left arm, rips my chains off the board. I try to get up, but stumble because of my injuries.

“Stark. Now.” Bucky mutters as guards come rushing down the hall. He puts me behind him and opens fire as guards rush in the door. I finally regain most of my strength and grab the board to shield me.

  
The cartridge in Bucky’s gun runs out, and he has to reload. He chucks it to me with a new cartridge. Pulling out a small gun, he shoots down a few more. I reload his gun, but we hear an explosion outside the room. It knocks down the wall and we see everyone down.

“C’mon,” Bucky says. We start walking until we hear the distinct cock of a gun.

“Stop there,” Ross states. “Put the guns down. Hands up.” We comply. “Turn around.”

As we turn around, he laughs. “Do you guys really think you could get away? We have apprehended Stark and Rogers and are close to getting Maximoff, Rhodes, Wilson, and the Vision. Your regime is falling.”

I turn to Bucky. “You let Rhodey come?”

“He forced his way in.”

“Look at me!!! I’m going to kill you, Barnes. And Alana, I have a torture for you that surpasses all you have gone through these past days.” He moves his finger to pull the trigger, but it won’t move! Lang had snuck onto the gun and was keeping Ross from pulling the trigger. Bucky pulls a knife from his belt and throws it at Ross’s thigh where it sinks deep inside.

“Ahhhh!” Ross falters, and Scott becomes human-sized and pulls the gun from his hand, rids it of bullets and runs towards us. Bucky shoots him and he’s dead before he hits the ground.

  
“You guys ok?”

  
“Yea let’s go. Stark?” Bucky presses at the comm in his ear.

“To the front,” Dad’s voice sounds static-y. “Nat, where are you?”

“I’ll be out in a few. Need to do something.”

“Hurry up.”

Bucky, Scott, and I run through the building to where Dad and Steve are waiting out front. All of a sudden, all of the pain comes back and I collapse on the ground.

“Alana!” Bucky leans over. He looks up, “She’s not breathing.”

“Wilson! Bring the jet!! Pronto!!” Dad yells. Sam lands the jet as Bucky takes me inside and attaches me to some breathing apparatus.

“Natasha? Where are you?” Scott asks

“Coming.” They see her emerge from the building with someone leaning on her shoulder. She brings him inside the jet, and Wanda gasps.

“Pietro!! It can’t be!!”

The man looks up with a crooked but tired grin. “To be honest sister, I don’t know how it did. But here I am.”


	36. Chapter 36

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

What the heck is that sound? It’s grating on my nerves!! Must be my alarm clock. I try to sit up, but I can’t. I crack open one eye and I see Dad sitting by my bed, nodding off. I’m.. in the hospital? I look at my arm, where they have an IV hooked up. I try to say “Dad?” but my voice isn’t working. So I just lay there with my eyes open until Dad wakes up.

“Alana? You awake?” I nod. “You’ve been here for three days. How are you feeling? Nod for ok, shake for no.” I shrug and nod. “Want me to get the nurse?” I shake my head. “You were hurt pretty bad. Funny thing is, you didn’t look in pain, but the pain level inside of you was immense. It even damaged a vocal chord. That’s why you can’t talk.” I raise my eyebrow and nod. “And your shoulder- remember when you said that doctors didn’t know what was wrong? Look at this…” He shows me an Xray of my shoulder. It is red- showing massive pain. “They don’t know what it is, but there IS something.” I shrug again.

His face softens. “Alanna, I’m sorry for making you think that I didn’t want you around. Truth is, I’m probably too attached to you. I won’t even let you get married.” He teases. “But seriously, I am sorry. It’s just been drilled into my system to doubt those who want to help me. I shouldn’t have doubted you- you’re my daughter.”

I smile at him to let him know he’s forgiven, but in my mind, I don’t blame him. It’s not his fault- I did exactly what everyone else did to him when he doubted. I got mad and left for a little while.

A nurse comes in and asks Dad to go out. I reach out my arms, to which he gives me a hug and leaves.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Within the span of the next few days, I have regained my voice and have been visited with by everyone in the Avengers as well as Pepper- except Bucky. Steve apologized to me, saying that he had tried to make Bucky come, but he won’t. Bindy has come and confessed everything, and I have forgiven her. I told her to re-start her life. I am finally allowed to leave the hospital today when all of a sudden, Bucky comes into my room. He stops and just stares at me.

Being a little hurt that he didn’t visit me, I sarcastically say, “Well hi… Surprised to see me?”

He opens his mouth, then closes it, all the while looking at me weirdly. Then this comes out of his mouth, “Why’d you do that? Why did you just give yourself up? Did you think that they’d just kill you? That’s the coward’s way out!!!” Now he’s yelling. “DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH STRESS YOU CAUSED ALL OF US? IT WAS STUPID, THAT’S WHAT IT WAS! I ALMOST LOST MY SANITY BECAUSE OF YOU!! DO YOU KNOW YOU’RE THE ONLY THING THAT’S KEEPING ME SANE?” By now, people start gathering out front of my room.

I am fed up. “I know Hydra wasn’t going to kill me, how stupid do you think I am? I knew Hydra’s plan- did you teally want millions of Wakandans dead, or Hydra to get their hands on vibranium? Also, do you know that Hydra had personal torture devices for EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU? Oh and when you guys didn’t show up soon enough, Ross decided to unleash them on me? Yea, so I know what Ross showed you. I know that he showed you the video of me having a pity party for myself, which I DID BELIEVE. But, you see, I’ve had almost worse in my life. My whole life, I’ve been alone. No one but me and my mom. Kids at school either made fun of me or avoided me like the plague!! And then, OH WAIT!, you killed my mom and your bosses forced this painful crap inside of me, which wasn’t finished before the whole machine was broken beyond fixing!! Now guess what? My body heals quickly, but the pain doesn’t go away. I feel it for a long time. But yea, thinking that you didn’t like me, that pushed me over the edge.”

His mouth gapes open. “I- I’m sor-..”

“It’s ok. You’ve been forgiven. Please leave now.”

He leaves rather quickly.

Dad and T’Challa walk in. “Are you ok? You werent supposed to get stressed out for another week or so…” Dad asks.

I snort out a laugh, then start crying. All the stress and pain from the past weeks have worn me out.

  
“Shh. It’s ok. You’ll be fine.” Dad lets me cry on his shoulder until I fall asleep. “She’ll stay here another night.”

“I’ll stay, too.” T’Challa volunteers. “I don’t think it’ll be smart for me to see Barnes right now.”

“Ok. See ya tomorrow.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Dad gets home to hear Steve say rather loudly, “No, you can’t leave!”

“Yes I can. None of them will want me here. T’Challa and Rhodes are gonna try to kill me, and I don’t even wanna think about what Tony’ll do.”

“So you’re just gonna leave? Be a coward about it?”

“No… I don’t care what they do to me- they can’t do much worse than what’s already been done. I’m leaving because I won’t be able to live with myself here. I shoulda never let you convince me to go.”

“You don’t know how much it hurt her to see that you wouldn’t go see her!” Wanda accuses.

“Do you wanna know why I didn’t? Because I knew it was gonna go like that! I’m still a little messed up in my head from our attack on Hydra, and seeing her wasn’t going to help. Now I messed up the best thing in my life. Now I’m leaving because I know she’ll forgive me, but things won’t be the same, and I don’t think I could live with that. I couldn’t stay here, seeing her and knowing that I can’t be with her- the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

“How do you know things won’t be the same? She still might like you….” Wanda counters.

“Tell me, Wanda, if Vision did the same thing to you that I did to her, would you like him still?”

“I don’t know…”

“Well you shouldn’t. I’d definitely advise you to not.”

  
Steve interrupts. “If you go Buck, they’ll probably put you in jail or a mental hospital. You haven’t been fully cleared yet.”

“That’s fine. At least there, I won’t be tempted to beg and plead with her and perpetually annoy her. You see why I have to go right? She is my life, and I hurt her. I can’t do that. That’s my worst fear- Wanda can see that.”

“I hate to interrupt, but don’t you think Alana deserves to hear that?” Dad “casually” walks in.

“Tony!” Bucky gasps. “I- I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize to me, you have to apologize to her. Do you know she probably thinks you hate her? You yelled at her, basically telling her not to go with her gut. Now I know it was a reckless and foolish thing to do, but if she’s anything like me, she couldn’t live with herself if sje didn’t do something. Now I think she deserves to hear your apology. She’s a grown woman- its her choice to accept it or not. But cmon man…”

Bucky hangs his head. “You’re right…” Then turns to Steve, somewhat angrily. “But you can’t stop me from leaving after that.”


	37. Chapter 37

T’Challa brings me home the next day. Everyone goes out of their way to make me feel comfortable. But after a few minutes, I am exhausted and tell them I’m going to my room and that I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. “I’m sorry- that was rude. Thank you for all you’ve done- I just would like to do something myself.”

I walk into my room and jump back in surprise. There are a few dozen roses, four boxes of chocolate, six giant Hershey bars. “Oh my gosh.” I say tiredly. “You guys are so extra.” I sit on my bed when a slight movement catches my eye. Bucky is huddled in the corner, making himself look as small as possible, looking defeated. My conscience tells me to feel bad, but I’m not in the mood.

“What are you doing in my room?” I ask calmly.

He looks up, eyes full of emotion. “Alana, I…”

“Yes?”

“I want to- I’m sorry for yelling at you like that. You weren’t stupid- what you did was brave. I just went a little crazy bec-..”

“Because I’m your last strand of sanity. I know.” I roll my eyes.

“No! Well you are but, I went a little crazy because I love you. I love the way you selflessly devote all your time to something that doesn’t even benefit you, but you are so slow to ask for others’ help because it might inconvenience them. I love the way you can read other people and help them through their problems. But doesn’t it get hard when everyone expects you to help them, but you can’t get help yourself? I love the way you forgive people who hurt you, but get mad when people hurt those you love. I love the way you eat the icing off of Tastycakes before you eat the cake. I love the way your eyes light up when you talk about something you love doing. I love the way children love you. I love the way you get adorably defensive when people tell you you work too much. I love you more than anything else. And you can push through any pain- which makes me feel bad because I barely ever feel any physical pain anymore- rising from the ashes of all they try to burn you with. You’re the one thing I cant live without, but I’m more than willing to go if you don’t want me here…”

I look at him. “You really mean all that stuff?”

“Why would I say that if I didn’t mean it?”

I walk over to him and kiss him. He kisses me back for a minute, then holds me at arms’ length.

“You’re too good for me. If I were your confidant, I’d tell you to stay away from guys like me.”

I know where he’s going with this. “Why’s that?”

“Because if I did it once, I would probably do it again.”

“Will you?” I cock my head.

“I… don’t think so,” he replies. “But I should be dead. I deserve a bullet to the brain. You deserve someone who’s all there.”

“Bucky, in all my life, you wanna know how many guys took an interest in me? Four. Four. My father- King T’Chakka, my brother- T’Challa, my dad, and you. And i- I have terrible habits! As you said, I work too much, I rarely sleep, and I care too much. It’s hard to deal with me. So yea, what I deserve is nothing.”

He looks at me defeated. “So… you- want me- you want me to stay?”

“I would like you to, but it’s your choice. We can let the UN know that you are no longer triggerable and you should be free to go…” I rub my shoulder.

He pulls me to him in a hug. “No I’ll stay. As long as the other three main guys in your life don’t kill me.”

“If they do, I’ll leave.”

He kisses me than picks me up, bridal style, and puts me on my bed. “I’m glad we worked that out. Now sleep- you need it. I’ll go elsewhere for a few hours. You can call me when you wake up- but only if you want to.” He kisses my forehead, then leaves.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“Have you seen Barnes?” T’Challa asks Steve. “I’d like to talk with him.”

Bucky appears in the doorway. “T’Challa.”

Rhodes and T’Challa get up and lead Bucky into the conference room. “What was that at the hospital?” Rhodes asks.

“I’m sorry.” Bucky replies calmly. “I know, sorry doesn’t cut it. I’ve been beating myself up over it. The truth is, when we were at the Hydra base, they tortured me with virtual reality videos with me basically doing all the things I vowed to never do- it messed with my head. One of the things I promised myself I’d never do is hurt her, but then I did- over and over again! I saw the video of her being tortured and they made me think I did it. I didn’t want to go to the hospital because I didn’t know how she or I would react, and, well, I reacted poorly….” His phone rings. He looks at it and answers, “Yes, sweetheart? Ok, can you try? Alright, I’m a little busy right now. I’ll be there in a few minutes, ok? Just stay there. Huh? Oh, the conference room. Ok bye.”

T’Challa’s eyes darken. “Sweetheart? I don’t think that is a name you should be calling anyone right now.”

“Huh?”

I walk into the conference room. “Shame on you guys- having a conversation about me without first asking my opinion.”

“Alana! You shouldn’t be doing that. Come sit down.”

“Ok Rhodey. Hey sugarbuns, could you help me over?” I direct my question at Bucky.

He grins. “Surely.” Bucky picks me up the waist and sits me down in a chair.

“Wha-…” Rhodes ans T’Challa look stunned.

Dad walks in, “What is the meaning of this…” He stops, looking at their stunned expressions. “Ohhh” His eyes sparkle.

“You’re ok with this?” Rhodey asks.

“It’s her life- her choice. But if something like this happens again,” He turns a warning glare on Bucky, “that’s when I’ll have a problem.”

“Understood.” Bucky nods.


	38. Chapter 38

We talk about the tortures that Hydra had for each of us.

“Well Clint, Scott, Sam, and Nat, what they basically had for you was physical torture. Nat, they had a few virtual reality things from the Red Room, and Sam, they had a few things about Riley and the army. Clint, they had nothing on your family, thankfully. Same with you Scott. Pietro, what did they do to you?”

“Well, I’m enhanced to go fast, ya know? So day after day, they put me on this conveyor belt with obstacles on it. If I go fast, I cut my legs off. I must go slow, which is annoying. But now if I go too slow, there is something chasing me that can rip me to shreds. Now, I must keep track of my speed at all times. Is a very terrible punishment.” He explains. Wanda gives him a hug. Those two have been nearly inseparable since he has returned. Pietro has approved of Vision so they are basically a clique within a clique.

“Ahh yes. I’m sorry that it happened to you. Now, to the more nerve-wracking ones. Wanda, you were basically put in a shocker-straitjacket in a virtual room with a smoking missle that’s never going to go off while Pietro dies over and over. Steve, your’s was solitary confinement in a freezing cold room. Once in a while, you’re on the train in Germany watching Bucky fall. Bucky, you know what yours was- basically felt like you were hurting those you love. T’Challa, they had virtual reality where you had failed your country and everyone hated you. You failed Father. It made me upset seeing it. Dad, yours- yours was the worst. You switched between electric shocked waterboarding, freezing, and falling through closing holes. I saw something with the wormhole- I’ll ask you later. They also had- had the bodies of your mom and dad cyrogenetically frozen. I hate to think what Hydra has planned for them.”

Dad pales. “They can’t- they can’t do that, right? Cuz they’re dead?”

“They were trying- I know that. They experimented on many, many dead bodies. Talk about ‘rest in peace’.” Bucky speaks up.

I lay my hand on his arm. “Extremis?” I ask Dad.

“If they have the right formulas, maybe. And last I heard, they needed me for that. Unless… you would. But why would they want Howard?”

“I don’t know… Pietro, how did they revive you? And how long were you revived?”

“I don’t know… I wasn’t able to count the days.”


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you couldn’t tell, I have a deep dislike for Howard Stark

At the Hydra base we just blew up *underground*  
What we didn’t know was that Hydra had found that, through channeling power from the mind stone, they could bring people back to life. They had brought Howard and Maria back then, but had kept them cytogenetically frozen until they had use for them. Now, with the collapsing of the base above them, Howard’s pod was broken.

“Maria?” After getting adjusted, he sees her in a pod. “Maria!” He gets up, legs weak, and makes his way over to her pod before collapsing. He lays there a few more minutes, regathering his strength, and manages to break her pod with a piece of rubble.

Maria sucks in air and opens her eyes. They widen and she moves silently, struggling to breathe.

“Maria! It’s ok. I’m here. Breathe.” Howard touches her.

She looks at him, moves closer to him, and little by little, her breathing slows. “Howard? Where- are- we?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to get us out of here. Can you get up?”

“I think so…”

He sees a stream of light, and pushing the rubble out of the way, helps Maria out into the harsh African sun. “It looks like we’re in…”

“Africa” She breathes.

A Wakandan tank pulls up. “What kind of warcraft is that?” Howard exclaims.

Attala gets out of the tank, gun drawn. “State your name.”

“Stark. Howard Stark.” Howard puts his hands behind his head as he nods at Maria to do the same.

Attala’s eyes widen. “Come with me…”

As they get into the tank, Howard’s eyes light up. “All this advanced technology!! Where did you get this?”

“Save your questions for the king.”

Attala takes them to T’Challa, who has just gotten home from America.

“Howard… and Maria Stark…?” He asks dumbfounded.

“That’s what they claim.”

“Bring them to me…”

When they are brought into the court, Howard looks confusedly at T’Challa. “Who are you? This is Wakanda, right?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark, it is. I am the king.”

“T’Chakka passed?”

“Mr. Stark, do you know what year it is?”

“1992?”

“2018.”

“How did that happen?”

“What’s the last thing you can remember?”

“A bad car accident. Sgt. Barnes- but wasn’t he dead? It’s a little fuzzy.”

“You were killed by Hydra, but then brought back to life- for whatever reason, I couldn’t say.”

“Ohh… And how is Stark Industries?”

“Thriving.”

“Great! Obadiah must be ecstatic. Have they found Captain America?”

“Yes. Look, Mr. Stark, much has changed since you last remember. Get a good night’s rest, and I will help you get a flight to America tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

After they are escorted out, he calls Dad. “Stark, you are not gonna believe this…”

Later that night, he relays his day with Orroro. “Not once did he mention his son. This does not bode well for Tony, I am afraid.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
New York  
“Thank you. I will get back to you on it. Yes… thanks for letting me know.” Dad hangs up and puts his face in his hands.

“You ok?” I ask. We’re in his lab, upgrading his DNA suit.

“Remember when we had that conversation about the Hydra base?”

“About your parents?”

He nods. “They’re alive. In Wakanda. T’Challa just called me. Howard- he wants to come here.”

“So what are you gonna do?”

“I guess he’s gonna come. Do I sound like the worst son ever when I say I wish he… didn’t?”

“Not if your father made your life terrible.” I counter.

He looks at me, surprised. “How’d you know?”

“Well just by seeing you pale when I said I saw them in the Hydra base was a big clue, but your life reeks of it. Don’t worry- most people wouldn’t notice.”

“Oh. Well I guess I’ll break the news to everyone tomorrow morning at breakfast. Why don’t you just go to bed? It’s late.”

“You go to bed. I’ll clean up and be up soon. Tell Pepper.”

“No. I won’t be able to sleep, and I don’t wanna scare her.”

“Well come upstairs, and we’ll watch a movie or something. I’m not tired.”

It’s 2:00AM, and we just got finished watching Ghostbusters, and Dad is still all fidgety. He seemed lost in his own thoughts throughout the whole movie. We sit in silence for a few minutes before Bucky walks in. “Anybody in-oh hey! You guys ok?”

“Yea. Why are you up?” I ask.

“Can’t sleep for more than 3 hours at a time. Saw a light on and came to see if anyone was in here.”

“Oh. We just got done a movie.” I pat the seat beside me, motioning for him to sit down. As I move to make room for Bucky, Dad snaps back into reality.

“Woah! Oh… Hey Bucky, whatcha doing up?”

“Can’t sleep.”

“Welcome to the club.”

“Is everything ok?”

Dad laughs, almost hysterically. “No not really.”

Bucky frowns, concerned. “What’s   
wrong?”

“My whole life.”

Bucky looks at me, eyebrows raised in question.

“Howard and Maria Stark were found alive a mile away from the Hydra base I was kept at.” I explain.

His face whitens. “No. It can’t be. Oh gosh.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll most likely forgive you.” Dad puts in. “You’re Captain America’s best pal. Howard couldn’t stay mad at you.”

“I’m sorry, Tony. So I guess- they’ll be coming here?”

“Yes.” Dad’s voice is now deviod of any emotion.

“We’ll figure out how to deal with it, ok? We’ll be ok.” I assure them.   
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
It’s finally morning, and Dad goes to tell Pepper of his news. She’s still sleeping, but Amara is crying. He picks her up and rocks her. Within a few minutes, she’s back asleep. Dad just sits on the rocking chair, looking at at her until Pepper wakes up.

“Tony? Did you go to bed at all last night?”

“No I couldn’t sleep.”

“Why?”

“Pepper… my parents are alive in Wakanda and are flying over today.”

“That’s great! Right?”

“I don’t know…”

“Well you always mourn the fact that you never told them you loved them and stuff right? Well now you can set that straight.”

“Yea I guess. I have to telk the team at breakfast today. T’Challa’s flying with them in the quinjet. They’re gonna land here. He’ll work it out with the government, he said.”

“Ok. I guess we’ll have to set up a room for them.”

At breakfast, Dad stands up. “I have an announcement to make.”

“What, Tony?” Steve asks.

He looks around the room. “My- Howard and Maria Stark were found a mile away from the Hydra base Alanna and Pietro were kept at by Wakandans. T’Challa is flying them over here today.”

Steve’s face lights up. “That’s awesome! He and I can catch up. Won’t that be great, Bu… oh… yea.” He seems to just now remember that Bucky killed them.

Bucky meets his gaze and goes, “Yeaaaa…”

“I’ll talk to him for you- explain what happened… if he remembers.”

“Steve, if he doesn’t remember, I’m telling him. No offense to you Tony, but Steve, you saw how Tony reacted when you didn’t tell him. Howard had anger problems- it’s not gonna end well if he ‘accidentally’ finds out. When are you gonna learn your lesson?”

Dad looks at the ceiling and mumbles something like, “You’re telling me.”

My phone starts ringing. It’s T’Challa. I walk out of the kitchen. “Hello?”

“Hey Tala, how are you? Listen, we’re about an hour away, but I want to prep you before we arrive. Howard talked to me about 20 minutes last night and for a while today, and not once did he mention your father. He has asked about world events and such, but not once. He also keeps raving about weapons so I’m getting the feeling he’s not gonna be happy when he hears what your Dad has done with Stark Industries.”

“Noted. Thanks.”

“Don’t tell your Dad about his name never coming up. It’s not worth opening old wounds.”

“They’ve been opened the day that they were found alive.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yea. I don’t know…”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
In the Quinn-jet  
“Where are we going? Straight to Stark Industries?” Howard asks.

“No. We’re going to a facility in New York. There’s a few people you need to meet.” Like your grandkids. T’Challa thinks.

“Very well.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
New York  
The quinjet lands, and we all wait for the passengers to get out. We have elected Steve to greet them since he was, in fact, Howard’s favorite. T’Challa steps out with Howard and Maria following behind. Bucky inhales sharply and sits down with a death grip on my hand. Dad is looking worse now than he did last night- as if he is just now believing they’re actually back.

“Oh my gosh! Steve! It’s really you! I knew they’d find you!” We can hear Howard’s voice from here. Steve answers him, then they stand there and talk for a few minutes while T’Challa makes his way inside.

“I’m sorry I had to spring this on you…” He tells Dad.

“No it’s ok! What else could you have done?”

Steve brings the elder Starks in and starts introducing everyone. “Hey y’all, you all know Howard and Maria, right? Howard and Maria, this is Miss Wanda Maximoff, Mr. Pietro Maximoff…” He paused by each person to allow a handshake. He stops when he gets to Dad.

“Hi Dad.” Dad grins.

“Tony? You’re alive?” Howard asks. “I’da thought you’d be dead by age 30- if not before, with all that partying you did.”

“Thanks Dad. I’m glad I failed your expectations.”

“Why are you always like this? Can’t you be the least bit respectful?” Howard is already getting mad.

I stand up. “Enough. We’ll discuss this some other time.”

Howards sneers, “And who are you?”

“Your granddaughter. And look, on the other side of my dad are your other ones.”

Maria’s eyes light up and she asks Pepper, “Can I hold one of them?”

This earns a smile from Pepper. “Sure! Meet Grayson.”

“And you must be his…” Howard directs his question to Pepper.

“Fiancée.” Dad states.

“Oh.” Howard’s eyes scan the room until he sees Bucky sitting behind me, still holding my hand. “Barnes? What the *#&! Are you doing here? Who owns this place anyways? I’d like to talk to…”

“Me,” Dad cuts in. “I own it.”

“Tony, don’t you know what he did? He’s a murderer!”

“Yet you’re alive somehow.”

“All right. All right. NO MORE ARGUING!” I yell. “Howard, do you want to know why he’s here? Because he was brainwashed and mind controlled by Hydra. He’s been pardoned for all the crimes Hydra made him commit. Oh and guess what else, he’s my boyfriend. I’m sorry for being this rude, but if all you’re looking to do is start an argument here, you’d best move on. Steve, show them their rooms.”

After they leave and start getting settled, Steve comes back out. “Tony, really? You still have to act like a child when they’re around? They just got back into the world- don’t you think they’d want to feel love from their only child?”

“Did you hear him?” Dad hisses. “He basically told me he thought I’d be dead before I turned 30, and it’s my fault that I’m not!”

“Tony, remember our conversation this morning?” Pepper chides.

Dad basically wilts. “Yes. I’m sorry- I’ll try harder.”

I shake my head and walk out of the room. Bucky follows me. “Hey what’s the matter?”

“They don’t realize what it’s like for him. He was trying so hard to be happy about this and Howard’s first words were, ‘You’re alive?’ Wow. Sounds like he really cares. And his mom, she seems like she’s too afraid to go against anything Howard says or does. What they also don’t realize is Dad already made his peace with their death. He finally said goodbye to them, and it no longer plagued him. Now he’s gonna have to go through it all again. And now everyone’s making him feel ashamed for wishing this situation never happened. I mean, I’m sure his mom loved him- you could see it in her eyes when she held Grayson, but Howard? The only time he ever told Dad anything complimentary was when he said that Dad would further his legacy with the arc reactor. It’s not really fair!!”

Bucky pulls me close. “It’s ok. It’ll all turn out ok because I know you won’t stop until everything is ok. And I’m gonna help you.”

“Thanks.” I kiss him. Then I hear a soft cough behind us. It’s Maria.

“Could I talk to you?” She asks me, then looks fearfully at Bucky. I guess she still remembers that night.

“Alright. I’ll- I’m gonna go… I’m sorry, Mrs. Stark, for what I did…” Bucky leaves.

“So you’re my granddaughter? You’re not Pepper’s daughter, are you?”

“No, I was born long before Dad met Pepper.”

“So you were with him the whole time?”

“Unfortunately, no, my mom never told Dad I was born. Then she died, and I was kidnapped and sold. King T’Chakka bought me and raised me as his daughter so,” I smile wryly, “King T’Challa is my foster brother and I am a princess of Wakanda. Then Dad and I met up and we put two and two together - as well as a DNA test and a letter from my mom. I’ve mostly been staying with Dad ever since.”

“Does he- really not want us here?”

“I don’t know. You don’t realize how much your death affected him. I was born as a result of it- it has affected his whole life. He recently found better ways to deal with it, and he finally said goodbye to you guys when Pop! you’re back. He doesn’t hate you or Howard. He just doesn’t want to have to go through it all again. And Howard trying to bully him won’t help either. Can I ask you a question? What does Howard have against him?”

“When Tony was born, I got postpartum. I stayed in bed for weeks and never was truly myself again. I believe Howard blamed Tony for that. Then when Tony showed signs of being a genius, Howard saw that he could use him to build a better future without remembering that Tony was still a child and would like to act like a child. He made Tony grow up too fast. And when Howard got angry…” She looks away.

  
I give her a hug. “Thank you. I now understand the situation a little better now. Do you want me to still call you Maria or…?”

“That will be fine. I feel we should know each other better before I act try to be your grandmother.”

“Thanks.”


	40. Chapter 40

We walk back into the living room where Dad is explaining his ‘family’. “So this is a home for the superheroes in a league called ‘the Avengers.’ It consists of Steve, Wanda, Pietro, Natasha, myself, and a few you haven’t met yet. We got Vision- an android with a powerful stone in his head, Dr. Bruce Banner- a man who’s life was greatly changed by gamma radiation, Thor- the Norse god of thunder, and Peter- Spiderman, but he’s only in training. Also, Bucky if he would want to help.”

“And what about your children? I don’t see any relation between Alanna and Pepper. You know, her eyes, the remind me of…”

“Sheila Anderson?” Dad cuts in.

“Exactly!! Wait, really Tony? _Sheila_ _Anderson_??? Wow. She was a…” He stops when he sees me.

“Go ahead. She was a what?”

“Alanna…” Dad’s eyes plead with me to stop.

“She went against everything we stood for.”

“Ok.” I leave it at that.

“By the way, where is Stane?”

“He’s dead,” came Dad’s reply.

“How?”

“Do you want the official statement, or what really happened?”

“What do you mean?” Howard queries.

“Well the official statement is that he died in a private plane crash on the way home from a vacation in Tahiti. But what really happened was…” Rhodes trails off.

“I killed him,” Dad bluntly says.

“You killed Obadiah? Why?”

“Because he was double dealing under the table, then got his hands on my latest invention at the time, which he planned to take over the world or whatever with. In my defense, he attacked me first, then threatened to kill Pepper.”

“What is this weapon?”

“It’s _not_ a weapon.” Dad growls. “It can be made into one, but it’s not one.” I immediately think of Bucky.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Howard,” Steve cuts in, “there’s a lot we have to catch you up on.”

We spend the rest of the day catching the elder Starks up on the past twenty years, starting right after they had died.

“When you died, I was distraught. I had no idea who to turn to, where to go, or what to do. So I turned to Sheila. I know you didn’t like her, but she was my friend and she kept me honest. I spent the next week living with her until I decided I was going to travel. I handed the company over to Stane and went off- never knowing I had a daughter on the way.” He smiles at me. “Though, to be honest, at that time, I would have been a worse father than I am now. So anyways, after a month or two of never being sober, I woke up sober- with one of the worst hangovers of my life…”

“Tony, enough with the theatrics,” Howard cuts in.

“Do you want to be caught up? Then listen. During that hangover, I had a _friend_ ,” Dad looks pointedly at Rhodey, “who didn’t coddle me- who wasn’t afraid of or dazed by all the money I had. He picked me up by the scruff of the neck and told me,   
‘Alright. I’m tired of this crap. I get it. Your parents died- so did mine. I never got to say goodbye either. But you’re wasting your life. Get up, get a shower, and get back to work. I am no longer dealing with this.’  
“Of course I replied with my usual charm…” Rhodey snorts, “and told him to get lost, but he replied that he wasn’t going anywhere. Because of him, I got my crap together and went back to reclaim my throne as CEO of Stark Industries, now Enterprises. I threw my life into my work and partying from then until 2008, when I went to Afghanistan to show off my newest missile to the generals when the vehicle I was riding in was attacked. I managed to get out before it blew up, but then I blacked out. I woke up,” Dad’s breath starts to quicken, “with a hand in my chest. The person had attached a car battery to an electromagnet in my chest to keep shrapnel from a missle from hitting my heart. My captors…” He trails off, eyes glossing over until Howard snapped his fingers in Dad’s face. Dad’s head snaps up. “My captors wanted me to build missiles for them, but I instead made a miniature arc reactor to put in my chest so I could get rid of the car battery. I then built a suit that helped me get out of there.” I’m glad Dad is just glossing over the bad parts. “When I got back, I called a press conference…”

T’Challa whispers, “Oh no… no.” in my ear as Dad keeps going.

“In that, I told the media that I was shutting down the weapons division.”

“ _ **YOU DID WHAT?**_ ” Howard is furious. “Tony, do you realize what I did to get that company started? To keep it going?”

“Yea, actually, you completely ignored your family. Anyways, we’ll get back to that.” Dad is surprisingly calm. He coos to Amara who is smiling happily in his arms. “I then remade the suit with better modifications. Stane obviously heard of it somehow. It could fly and stuff. I went back and blew up all my captors’ stores of weapons. Then Stane got his hands on my original suit, which was scattered in pieces in the desert. He built a bigger one, and stole the arc reactor right out of my chest. Luckily, thanks to Pepper, I had my original arc reactor, too, and with the help of Rhodey, I was able to get in my suit and challenge him- he was going to kill Pepper. After a brief fight, I blew up the big arc reactor- he was keeping his suit in that building- and that’s what killed him. SHEILD was working with us, and they released the ‘official’ statement.”

“Where is your suit now?”

“In my lab, why?”

“I would like to see it,” Howard replies. “So what happened after that?”

“Well I became a superhero- I was the US’s nuclear deterrent, but the palladium from my arc reactor was killing me. After running tests with every known element and combinations and getting no good substitution, I realized I was dying. I made Pepper CEO of Stark Enterprises, inadvertently gave Rhodey a suit, and did some stupid stuff. Natasha was sent by Fury to spy on me. Fury gave me your stuff on the Expo and the City of the Future. I used that to create a new element, which substitutes palladium in all of my arc reactors now. Oh by the way, I was attacked several times by Ivan Vanko- that name ring a bell? Yea, he made arc reactors, also, for Hammer Industries. The only is, he hacked into Hammer’s systems and controlled his machines to attack me. Almost killed Peter. But in the end, Natasha, Rhodey, and I rose victorious. This was in 2011, when dear old Cap was found frozen in the ice. Thor also visited Earth for the first time this year. By the way, did you know SHEILD was using the Tessaract to make weapons? Yea, because of this, Thor’s evil and slimy brother Loki, decided to pay a visit and steal the Tessaract. He wanted to rule Earth, even had an alien army come to fight us. After we stopped him and took him back to a SHEILD carrier. By the way, Clint was brainwashed by him, as well as Erik Selvig…”

“That goon…” Howard rolls his eyes.

“So Clint maimed the helicarrier and Loki got away. He used Stark Tower as a beacon to create a portal for the alien army to come through. When they did, it took all of us- Cap, Thor, Dr. Banner, Natasha, Clint, and I to stop them. Stupid SHIELD decided to nuke NYC in order to stop them, but took care of that easy enough…”

“What he’s trying to say,” Rhodes interrupts, “is that he flew the nuke through the portal in space so that it would kill all the alien army that was out there, and barely made it back…”

“I didn’t want to think about it… Anyways, Thor took Loki and the Tessaract back to Asgard (where he’s from), and we were fine for a little while.   
“Then we had this terrorist called ‘the Mandarin’. He terrorized America by blowing up several towns in America. Turns out, this ‘Mandarin’ was a paid actor for Aldrich Killian, a scientist who had created AIM, a corporation that recoded DNA. He caused the explosions and also had a like massive crush on Pepper. So then Pepper, Rhodey, and I defeated him and his guys.   
“Cap found Bucky when Hydra had infiltrated through SHEILD so much that it actually fell apart. Then we found Loki’s scepter- the brainwasher. Hydra had it and used it to create Superpowers for Wanda and Pietro. It’s my opinion that they somehow used it to bring you two back to life. Then people got mad for all the damage we caused and the world created the Sokovia Accords. I supported them because I knew if the world wanted it, it was gonna happen, and I didn’t want to be forced into it. I saw it as a way to claim responsibility for our actions. Steve didn’t like them, and they split the team. Bucky was framed into killing King T’Chakka, which made T’Challa try to kill him. Steve broke the Accords by going and saving Barnes. Then Barnes was captured and interrogated by the UN, except our psychiatrist was a fraud- actually the guy who killed T’Chakka. He led them to Siberia- Bucky’s Hydra home. I followed to help and then was shown the video of you being killed. Steve knew about it and never thought it was wise to tell me. I was strung out and attacked Bucky. Steve fought me and it left us with Bucky missing an arm, my suit demolished, and Cap leaving his sheild. T’Challa had also followed us and offered Wakanda as a refuge to Cap’s team until the Accords mess was figured out. Vision found me in Siberia two days after Cap left- I was barely alive and I couldn’t move. During a fight between us, Rhodey got hit in the spine and was paralyzed. I made him braces to help him walk again.   
“I then went about my life like the other Avengers never existed until one of my suits was ‘stolen’. Thank God it was or I never would have met my lovely daughter. She had been living in Wakanda as T’Challa’s foster sister. She fixed Barnes’ arm and when we got them all back, his brain also. Then she got attacked and my suit went to save her- as she has my DNA. I tracked down my suit and found her. Then about a month ago, Hydra threatened to flatten Wakanda if they didn’t give up their vibranium. Alanna gave herself up to them so that Wakanda wouldn’t suffer, and we saved her. Somehow during the fight, your cryo-chamber was broken and that’s how you’re here now.”

“So you perfected the arc reactor? Well done! I always thought you would. Although right before we were killed, I was skeptical…”

Dad rolls his eyes but doesn’t comment.

“What about you, Alana?” Howard turns to me. “Your father didn’t mention you much.”

I recount my life story, to which Howard raises his eyebrows. “So you’re part super-soldier?”

“Well, I’m not a soldier,” I say wryly. “I’m a pacifist.”

“Of course you are.” He then mutters “the Andersons” under his breath scornfully. 


	41. Chapter 41

A few months pass with no huge occurrences. T’Challa had gone back to Wakanda, telling me that Orroro and he had set a wedding date and I had better be there. Dad and Pepper have set a date too- about a month after T’Challa’s. I am apparently a part of both weddings as the maid of honor, which means I have a lot of planning.

On another note, we found it prudent to let the Accords council know that Howard and Maria Stark were alive, living in the Avengers’ compound. America welcomed them back happily.

Maria went back to her life, working with charities and the arts and now spoiling her grandchildren. There was rarely a time you don't see her with a sweet, peaceful smile on her face. She is still nervous around Bucky, didn’t always know what to say to Dad or me, and is afraid to confront Howard.

Howard was not happy most of the time because he was not in control of Stark Industries. That was his life when he was alive. Dad told him, “You’re retired. Now find a hobby, go on vacations with your wife, play golf, do whatever you want- just relax.”

Howard just grumbled and walked away. He spends most of his time drinking and reminiscing with Steve. Oh, and making jokes on Dad’s behalf. The rest of the team likes to join in. One time, Rhodey went in the room, and not two minutes later, he came out with a thundercloud over his head. “I had to get out of there. They’d all be dead.” He growls.

“I know, Colonel, but there is not much we can do,” Vision looks displeased. “Any rebuttal could start a scuffle.”

My lips press in a straight line to stop myself from saying anything when I hear a shout from the living room. “That’s Bucky.” I run in his direction.

He’s lying on the couch, thrashing, not saying anything. He emits another yell, but it sounds muffled. It’s been so long since he’s had a nightmare like this! Why now?

I walk up to the edge of the couch. “Bucky! Bucky! Can you hear me?”

He yells again, tears streaming down his face.

“Bucky, honey, you’re ok. You’re ok.”

His eyes open and dart around as he takes in his surroundings. “Lana? You ok?”

“Yes. I’m fine sweetheart, what about   
you?”

“C’mere.” He pulls me onto the couch beside him and wraps his arms around me. “I’m ok. I’m ok. You’re ok.” He buries his face in my neck. “Ok. Ok. Ok…” He repeats until his voice trails off and he falls back asleep.

Rhodey looks at me, amused. “Well now, you’re stuck.”

“No. I’m fine,” I smile. “Perfectly comfortable.” I pull up a holographic screen. “Peace out.”

He shakes his head and walks away. “Yea, she’s Tony’s daughter.”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Today, I wake up with a bad feeling. Not sure why, I get up and go out to the kitchen. Huh. It’s quiet. Then I remember why.

Bucky went out, going to visit his relatives, Rhodey has gone to a Air Force ceremony, Sam and Steve went for a run, and the others were minding their own business.

Feeling lazy, I pour myself a bowl of cereal. *Sniff* Is someone crying? I look up and see Maria sitting on the couch in the living room, dabbing her eyes.

“Maria. What’s the matter?” I ask.

“Howard. He’s too drunk. Went down…” Her voice trails off, fear radiating off her.

“Come with me!” I turn and run down the stairs to Dad’s workroom. Halfway down and I can already hear Howard shouting.

“EVERYTHING I EVER ASKED YOU TO DO. WHY ARE YOU SUCH A FAILURE?”

“Dad. You’re drunk. Settle down.” I hear Dad trying to placate him.

I hear a resounding smack. “DON’T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”

Why are there so many stairs?

“YOU’RE IRON MAN RIGHT? WHY DON’T YOU HIT ME BACK?”

“Because you’re my dad, and I’m not gonna hit you.”

I run into the lab to see Howard kicking Dad in the chest. Dad falls over, unconscious. It looks like this has been going on for a little while. I dial 911 and tell Maria. “It’s calling the cops! Tell them to send an ambulance and a police car.” I stalk over to Howard, who’s about to kick Dad. “STOP RIGHT NOW!” I yell and shove Howard against the wall. I sit him down in a chair and use a wire to bind his hands.

In the distance I hear Maria say, bravely keeping her voice steady, “I’m calling to report an assault. Please send an ambulance and a police car. The Avengers Compound.”

I walk over to Dad. He’s out cold. I gingerly pick him up and carry him to the elevator. “Communal living room, FRI.” I know I wasn’t supposed to move him, but I was putting him somewhere other than the lab floor. I lay him out on the table, telling Maria, who followed me up, “Stay here. I’m getting Howard.”

Back in the lab, Howard is fuming. “You can’t just do this to me! I’m Howard Stark!”

“I really couldn’t care less about who you are right now. Come with me.” I free his hands from the chair, then re-bind them, making him walk with me. He fights, but I am angry, and the serum in me makes me a lot stronger than he is. When we get to the living room, I sit him on a chair and re-re-bind him. A few minutes later, Steve and Sam come in.

“Alana what are you doing? You can’t-”

“Can’t what?” I turn to him, eyes burning into him.

“Alana, I know you’re mad, but that doesn’t-”

“Steve, I’d shut up,” Sam whispers.

I growl. “Steve Rogers! Do you know what that- that CREATURE just did? Look over at the table! Now go sit down and shut up!” I point to the couch. “You too, Sam!”

Hearing the shouting, Pepper and Wanda come down, holding the babies. “What’s going on? Oh, Tony…” Pepper gasps.

Natasha comes in and asks, “What did Stark do now?”

“Sit. Down.” I yell at her. She complies quickly.

This happens until everyone home is in the living room. This excludes Rhodey and Bucky. I pace around the room, waiting for the authorities to arrive. After a few minutes, Steve stands up and grabs my arm, “Alana, I don’t think you sho-”

I kick his legs out from under him and slam his head to the floor. “Get up. Now go sit back down.”

He does, albeit a little disoriented.

“Does anyone else want to challenge me?” I glare. Everyone stays still. “Good. Because it’ll end badly. Do you know what I am sick and tired of? You guys and your complaining!! How many slights against my Dad have I heard this week? More than I can count! In a week!! And I’m good with math! But really, where would you be without him? At best, a group of mercenaries. He gives you housing, food, clothing, weapons, and never asks you to pay for any of it. He makes weapons for you! Something he wishes he’d never have to do, but as they’re safe in your hands… You complain about stupid little things- even to the point of the milk running out- and expect him to fix it. You know what, he does without even complaining! Then after all that, you have to crack jokes on his behalf with that…” I point to Howard.

“I am your grandfather.” Howard growls.

“You are nothing to me but my Dad’s attacker! All my grandparents were dead before I was born.” I see Maria blanch. “And you. You are so afraid of Howard that you let your son, even at the early age of 8, take beatings he didn’t deserve. He wasn’t allowed to be a child, and now you wonder why he has so many problems?”

“Watch your tongue.” This comes from Howard.

I stalk over to him. “You know what? I have half a mind...” My head lifts at the sound of a slight intake of breath. Bucky has just gotten home and is taking in his surroundings.

“Alana,” He takes a few steps towards me. “Alana, let me do it. Don’t do it. If you feel it needs done, let me do it. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. Let me.” By this time, he’s on his knees in front me, his hand holding mine.

Immediately, my anger slides off. I look around at everyone, seeing the fear in their eyes. “Bucky. I….” I start to shake.

“Shhh. It’s gonna be ok.” He wraps me up in a hug.

At that moment, the police and EMTs land on the roof with a helicopter. I pull myself together to go meet them.

  
“This way.” I lead them onto the communal floor. Pointing to Dad, I say, “He needs medical attention right away, and he,” Pointing at Howard, “is the assaulter.”

As the cops read Howard his Miranda rights, Natasha sidles up to me. “You know if they get video on this from you, you could be prosecuted, too.”

“Really? For what? Attacking Steve? He grabbed me first- it was self defense.”

“Of course it was,” she smirks.

“Look. I didn’t mean to hurt him, ok? He grabbed me and it was a knee-jerk reaction.”

She rolls her eyes and walks away. Bucky comes over and puts his arms around me. Kissing my cheek, he asks, “You ok?”

“Not really. But… I’ll get there. You coming to the hospital with us?”

“Do you want me to?”

“I’d like that.”

Maria asks if she can accompany us. Therefore, we have Pepper, Grayson, Amara, Maria, Bucky and me in the helicopter with Dad.

They rush Dad to the ER. After waiting a little while, we are told by the doctors that he will be ok, but he will need time to heal. His chest took quite a beating, and it had already been injured. But he was awake and we could go see him.

We all walk in and see him lying there. He tries to smile around the tube, but fails. We stand there awkwardly until Maria walks over and takes his hand.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I’m sorry that I never stood up to Howard. You have been taking my beatings your whole life, and it’s not fair. I’m sorry.”

Dad pulls the tube out. “I didn’t need that anyways. Mom, it’s not your fault. It’s his. He needs to learn to react differently. No man should ever beat his wife or kids.”

That night, Pepper, Maria, and the kids go home, but Bucky and I stay.

“I have a confession to make,” I get their attention. “I kind of… lost it when Howard started hitting you. I got so mad I could barely control myself. I dragged him up the steps and tied him to the chair and may have done worse if not for Bucky. So I’m going to tell you something I never told anyone.” My voice breaks. “Ever since I can remember, I would look at a person and know exactly how to take them out if I had to. I see it for everyone. It heightened after they pumped the serum in me. That’s why I don’t fight or get super mad because it’s hard to control. In fact, I think I gave Steve a concussion because he tried to stop me. I never told anyone because it shows how much of… how much of a monster I am.” Tears start to fall. 


	42. Chapter 42

“Alana, honey, you’re not a monster. It’s the flaw of a genius mind, especially one with my crappy genetics. How do you think I created all those weapons? I knew exactly where to hit so it hurt.” Dad tries to reassure me.

“Yea, but you never snapped. I did.”

“Yes, maybe you did snap, but it was to stop an abuser. I never had that problem. There was never someone I loved getting so hurt, I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“Do you really dislike yourself that much, Dad? Because you have been the abused so much, no one would have blamed you if you had snapped.” I feel so terrible.

“I can take it. It’s better me than someone who can’t. And I’ve caused so much pain; if I died, you all shouldn’t mourn.”

I scoff. “That is utter bull crap, you know that? And we should all be worried, because that speech right now sounds a little suicidal.”

“Yes, Alana, I know. That is what I was like for most of my life, but now I have a beautiful fiancée, and three wonderful children. How could I be suicidal?” Dad smiles complacently.

“Good. Now remember, you are only human and very breakable. No more sacrificing yourself.”

“I’ll try to remember that.” He squeezes my hand. “And as your father, I am telling you that you can’t think of yourself as a monster, ok? You must love yourself as much as you love others. Do we have a deal?”

“Deal.” I nod.

He lets out a tired laugh. “Look at us. All messed up, probably instable people. Thanks for staying, seriously, but I need to sleep.” He falls asleep not even 10 minutes later.

Bucky sits next to me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stayed to hear that.”

“It’s ok. You – you don’t hate me, right?”

“Alana, you realize if you’re a monster for thinking that, I’m basically all evil in the world. I actually acted on it in cold blood.”

“But you were brainwashed!”

“The serum… it enhances what you already are, right? Before the war, I liked fighting. So what does that make me?”

“It makes you human… you boxed, right?”

“Then you are just as human, too. Now stop beating yourself up.” He pulls me into a hug. “They shouldn’t blame you, if they do, that’s their problem. Now try to get some sleep."


End file.
